When I was a lad

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I was one of the lucky ones. I quite liked PE and sport at school but there were loads of kids who hated it - the mean spirited teachers, being the last one picked for the team, the cold showers, the list goes on. A lot of these kids left the running around and physical exercise until home time, without the threat of hard cricket balls and muddy footballs coming their way.

For many kids nowadays who aren’t keen on school PE lessons, it’s far more appealing to spend time after hours sitting on a warm couch playing the latest Playstation or Xbox game. Remembering this is the same generation that Jamie Oliver is desperately trying to lure away from turkey twizzlers, the inactivity of the nation’s future adults and the health risks this and their diet pose is a worrying combination. As a whole, the nation has become increasingly sedentary. According to a Department of Transport study, only 1 in 10 children now walk to school in comparison to 7 out of 10 in 1975...

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