A report by National Chung Hsing University has given Taiwan an F rating for childhood physical activity.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 "You don't need to climb when you're young, you're a bad person."
00:02 Elementary school students get their blood pumping between classes.
00:07 While it's a standard exercise routine in schools in Taiwan, a study by National Zhongxin
00:12 University shows that students aged 5 to 17 here don't get enough physical activity.
00:19 "In 57 countries, there are 10 countries like us.
00:23 The Asian region is particularly serious, including Taiwan, there are five countries."
00:30 It means Taiwan failed to reach international standards for childhood physical activity.
00:36 And it's the second time the country has been given an F rating.
00:41 Researchers say children here aren't getting enough exercise, which poses long-term risks
00:46 to their blood, bone and brain health.
00:49 The World Health Organization suggests children from 5 to 17 should spend about an hour a
00:55 day exercising.
00:57 But the researchers say children in Taiwan get more sedentary as they grow up.
01:02 "Whether it's school pressure or other academic pressures, the physical activity
01:12 in secondary schools has dropped significantly."
01:14 The report also points to the high amount of screen time school children have, as well
01:19 as the reluctance of some parents to allow their children to engage in school sports.
01:24 "If it's outdoors, it's still the parents who are at home."
01:28 This hesitancy also extends to some teachers, who are expected to play the role of sports
01:33 coaches.
01:34 "If the teacher has a problem, the parents will ask the teacher to protect themselves
01:40 and try to limit their activities."
01:43 So while keeping children in the library might help them get good grades, it could be their
01:48 health that pays for it later down the line.
01:51 Yisen Pan and Laurel Stewart for Taiwan Plus.
01:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]