Belgian adolescents sit still for nine hours a day

Children and young adults in Belgium are not getting enough exercise, and even spend most of the day sitting still, according to a large-scale study published today by the Scientific Institute of Public Health (IPH). The study reveals that 3- to 5-year-olds spend half the day sitting down, and adolescents nine hours a day. "We are even shocked by the numbers," says IPH, according to De Standaard.

Boys and girls in Belgium between the ages of 14 and 17 sit down for an average of 8 hours and 44 minutes per day, or two-thirds of their waking hours. This is offset by about three hours of light physical activity, such as standing or walking, and less than one full hour of moderate to heavy physical activity, such as biking or playing sports.

The younger age group in the study, children between the ages of 3 and 5, sit still for about five hours a day, or half the time they are awake.

For the study, the IPH registered the movement of 2,000 children and young adults from across Belgium with the use of an accelerometer. The electronic device was attached to the hip of the participants and measured how much and how intensively they moved for seven consecutive days.