Studies show that more children today than 10 years ago are unfit.

It`s a well known fact that on the whole our youngsters are getting more obese, and this in itself is causing poor fitness. But, recent studies show that even among those who are not overweight the fitness levels are falling.

Figures show that over a decade in the UK the levels got worse by 7% in boys and 9% in girls. This is disappointingly high when compared with global statistics, which show children's cardiorespiratory fitness is declining by a little over 4%.

Poor fitness can be detrimental to health as a child gets older, just as obesity can.

What are some of the main reasons for childrens` lack of fitness compared to a decade ago?

It seems that our children aren`t as used to walking as they once were. They travel to school by bus, or by car. Even going to the store they don`t like having to walk. Yet, current guidelines are that kids have a minimum of 60 minutes activity every day.

At one time, children would return home from school, do their homework, then go out and play. They`d kick a ball about, play hopscotch, run on the fields. That has changed for many though. Now, they turn on the TV, play computer games, or spend hours on the Internet. With the advent of Facebook, Twitter and the rest, kids are active only when it comes to Social Networking. Their fingers are the most used parts of their body. And if they have their own TV in the bedroom they are even more likely to be unfit.

It`s easy to blame the parents. And it`s true that they do have the primary responsibility to ensure their children are active, allowing only a reasonable amount of time sat in front of the TV or computer. But, many parents view it as the best of two evils because they fear for the safety of their youngsters. They worry about the reports of child murders, kids disappearing, assaults on children by adults or other kids in the form of bullying.

But while their kids are in the home they feel they are safe, away from the evils of the world. That`s a sad reflection on society, even though the dangers may be more perceived than real. Children need to be active, otherwise we face raising a generation that may or may not be obese, but for sure will be unfit, which ultimately means unhealthy.

Parents can set the example. We can walk places instead of using the car to go everywhere. Look for `activities` to engage in. Many kids love camping and hiking for example, and these are great ways to get out and about and enjoy the countryside and get back to nature. Make being outdoors enjoyable, exciting, stimulating, and our children will hopefully stay fit, and healthy, on into adulthood.

Starting your kids out with healthy eating habits can help them see past all the junk, and do so for life. Begin by setting the example. Use the fact that your kids are watching you closely to give them healthy and productive things to see like consistent exercise and nutritional food choices. Help them to understand why eating healthy is so important. Need some help getting these healthy habits going? Here are ten tips for you and your children: 1. Walk together as a family.

2. Prepare balanced and healthy meals. Try to include colorful fruits and vegetables. Don't forget to limit both sugar and saturated fat, which are proven to have a negative impact on your health.

3. Drink water at every meal. Keep away from soda. Save it for special occasions, but try to keep from stocking up on it at home.

4. Make fruit juice (watered down to reduce the sugar) and whole organic milk a part of your daily eating habits. Both provide health benefits, especially for your children.

5.   Refrain from giving your children sugar as a reward. Instead, try to make fruits and vegetables fun and interesting. Let their favorites become rewards. Keep sweets out of your childrens diets as long as possible.

6. Eat snacks several times a day and small meals at mealtimes. Choose one meal to be the one ââ,¬Å" either breakfast or lunch. For the rest of your meals, especially dinner, serve small portions, and do not forget to include fruits and veggies! 7. Balance your family diet with proteins, carbohydrates and colorful fruits and vegetables. Let your kids have seconds, but be careful to keep them from overeating.

8. Take time for your kids. Talk and be involved in each other lives. A great way to do this is by exercising together and making it a regular and expected activity. 9. Encourage your kids to stay active rather than sitting in front of the television or video games. Set a timer and limit their time on them, if you have to. Make them special treats rather than regular activities.

10. Keep your children interested in trying new foods. Introduce new things at the dinner table on a regular basis especially fruits and vegetables and make it fun!

10. It doesn matter when you start, just THAT you start pursuing being healthy and fit. Do nott let a late start discourage you. Your family health is too important.

Making smoothies a part of your childrens daily diet is one of the best things you can do to keep them eating healthy. Smoothies are not only delicious and easy to prepare, they are also very healthy. It's one of the best ways to meet our their recommended allowance of 5 fruits a day. And for kids who are not too keen on eating vegetables, smoothies are a way to get them into their healthy eating habits without them even knowing.

It's no surprise then that a lot of parents are starting to pick up this habit. It doesn't matter what age they are, it's never too early or too late to get them smoothie drinking. Don't worry if you've never made a smoothie in your life - it's something your kids can help you with.

If you are committed to making their diet healthier, then making sure they succeed in this habit of drinking healthy smoothies is a goal you need to aim for. Forming a habit takes time. They say that you need to repeat an action for 28 days for it to sink in. So to them reach that goal, here are some tips on how you can make smoothies part of their daily routine.

Set a schedule for their new habit. Are you going to make them smoothies breakfast? Or will it be an afternoon snack? Reward them with a special one for good grades or an achievement? Setting aside a certain time each day for their smoothie habit will make it easier. You are conditioning their minds to expect a glass of cool, creamy smoothie at a fixed time each day.

Make cookies and sweets a reward. Don't ban goodies altogether, make them a reward. Candy and other treats are OK in moderation.

Enjoy a variety of recipes. For a lot of children, variety is the key to success. Continuously discovering and enjoying new healthy recipes is important in keeping them interested. A recipe collection like "Sensational Smoothies: Drink Your Way To Health Deliciously" is a great way to way to keep them eating healthy.

Become smoothie buddies. Involving the whole family makes the whole experience much more fun, and much more likely to succeed. Get everyone involved. You can then keep tabs on how each other is doing, and even invent new recipes from time to time.

It is our responsibility to make sure our children grow up to be as healthy as possible. Child obesity is rising constantly and it needs to be stopped. Teaching our kids how to eat healthy is the best way possible for them to become healthy, successful adults. For more ideas and tips visit http://www.squidoo.com/simplerecipesforchildren and ensure your children become the best adult they can be.

Parents should be aware of the importance of making their children aware of the nutritional needs they require to maintain their health right from an early age. Being unwell through ignorence of what is required to protect their childrens health can ultimately lead to mental health problems. Our kids need to be taught and follow the examples of their healthy parents. This will improve the quality of life for children right through their adult life.

With the fast pace of modern life parents should make children aware of healthy diets and how importanct it is to avoid junk foods. This could be done by setting an example by the healthy diet that their parents follow. A good example can be by having properly prepared food with nutritional value rather than quick prepacked meals with no or low nutritional value, hastily heated up in the micro wave oven to eat while watching television. Researches have shown that eating junk food in front of the television plus very low particpation in sporting activities are affecting childrens health. The sooner our kids are taught about the adverse effects of junk food the better, as it will be difficult to break what has become a habit of eating junk food all at once, as children grow older.

Most people know that fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamin content that are essential for the healthy growth of children. Parents therefore can play their role by ensuring that enough vegetables and fruit are included in their own diet as well as their childrens diet. This should encourage their children to follow their parents example. Parents can then go a step further and learn the actual vitamins in the fruit and vegetables and how they will assist keeping their children healthy and then make their children aware of this information. This information can be easily obtained free online or from leaflets in stores specializing in healthy eating. Most kids will respond to the example set by their parents, good and bad.

Equally important to physical health is the mental health of our children to ensure and complete the process of their healthy life developement. Children should be allowed to particepate in many of the sports and recreational activities in addition to their academiic studies. Whillst the academic education of children is essential, participation in sport and exercising will make kids feel more relaxed which will not only improve their health but could also assist them in advacing in their studies too.

In conclusion although dictating to our children is not advisable a liitle preaching about the suggestions previously made in this article can go a long way to your kids enjoying a much healthier, happier and more balanced life. Combining healthy eating, with mental and physical fitness will go a long way towards your childrens health and well being. Above all parents do need to lead the way by practicing what they preach.