The amount of time a parent spends exercising has a direct effect on a child's attitude towards activity, according to new research.

A study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health revealed that when adults increase their daily exercise, offspring will also boost theirs.

Assistant professor of medicine at National Jewish Health Kristen Holm and her colleagues found that getting parents to lead by example could be an effective way to tackle childhood obesity.

The research found that for every additional 1,000 steps adults took, children took 196 steps above their usual daily amount.

This pattern was most notable on weekends, with Dr Holm suggesting this is likely to be down to families exercising together more on a Saturday and Sunday.

It was noted that weekends are a particularly good time for parents to promote healthy lifestyles and encourage their children to be more active.

The news comes after research from the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance revealed 23 per cent of pre-school children are overweight.

Written by Donal Walsh

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