This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Juegos infantiles para poner fin a la obesidad infantil

Only 20% of the boys plays in the street

Childish games to put end to the childish obesity

Editorial Interempresas21/05/2012

21 May 2012

As Afamour, the Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Furniture Urbano and Childish Parks, “the games in children's playgrounds are one of the best forms of exercise for the boys”. Thus, the sector claims the paper of the parks and childish games in the fight against the childish obesity, and demands that promocionen from the Administration and his areas of Health.

The figure of obese minors in Spain is of the highest of Europe and surpasses to the one of United States. 19% of the Spanish boys are obese, according to the last study of the Program of Nutrition and Physical Activity for the Treatment of the Obesity (Pronaf). At present there is thrice more boys with problems of obesity that 15 years ago.

And according to a study of the Foundation Thao, a 23,5 % of the boys of between 3 and 5 years suffers obesity or sobrepeso. This percentage elevates until the 30 percent in the case of all the childish population object of this study.

The parks and areas of childish games help considerably to reduce the tax of obesity.

The fundamental cause is the change of habits regarding the feeding and the every time greater sedentarism. Thus, according to the specialists on the obesity, is urgent inculcar in the boys some healthy alimentary habits and boost his physical activity. It does not do fault that do sport like such, but yes that they are not sedentary.

The childish lifestyle has changed. The video games and the television have gone eating him terrain to the physical game and that is one of the keys of the childish sedentarism and the obesity. According to Afamour, Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Furniture Urbano and Childish Parks, the game in the open air and no structured is one of the best forms of exercise for the boys. However, they affirm from the association, only 20% of the boys plays in the open air; whereas 70% of the adults remembers that of boy played in the street”.

“Play in the open air is crucial for the health of the boys”, affirms Afamour, “more still if we attend to the alarming data of childish obesity of our country”. In fact, it remembers the association, the Chief Medical Officer in United Kingdom recommended does a pair of years that the boys would have to have access to three or four afternoons of games in the open air to the week.

“Often, infravalora the crucial paper of the parks and childish games in the health, physical and mental, of the boys, as well as in his development”, regret from Afamour.

Help considerably to reduce the tax of obesity, and do it in addition to way lúdica and to a reasonable price, without any economic outlay for the families. “Thus, from the association want to promote them and concienciar to the society of his importance; we understand besides that they would have to boost from the Administration and his sanitary ware areas”.

The parks and areas of childish games no only are effective against the childish obesity, and his possible derivative dangers, like diabetes, hipertensión, Different… “cholesterol studies show that besides they allow to the boys use his creativity while they develop his imagination, skill, and psychological fortress, cognitive and emotional”, according to Afamour. “The games allow to the boys create and explore the world, generally besides in company of other boys. As they explore his world, the game helps them to develop new capacities that will allow them reinforce the confidence and resistance that will need to face future changes”.

Ensures the association that in Spain, some 80 companies, that employ to some 1.050 people, devote to this type of equipment.

“Often, infravalora the crucial paper of the parks and childish games in the health, physical and mental, of the boys, as well as in his development”, regret from Afamour

Safe installations for the boys

On the other hand, Afamour alerts on the importance of the quality and the maintenance of the children's playgrounds to guarantee the hygiene of the boys. “We can ensure that the hygiene is an already standard value in all the products of equipment of areas of game designed and manufactured in Spain. At present all the Spanish manufacturers possess all his models certified according to the norms IN 1176 and IN 1177”.

To guarantee his hygiene, the children's playgrounds and area of game have to instrument with products manufactured with materials and treatments no toxic; safe structures and cimentaciones and anchorages checked; protections anticaídas in zones of height; they have to avoid entrapments of fingers, head and body; absence of edges, sharp and salient edges dangerous; accesses limited for the small boys if the game is not appropriate for the more sin; zones of hygiene in each element (minimum 150 cm) with coating of hygiene amortiguador (sand, gravel or synthetic floors) in function of the height of fall; programs of inspection. Besides, it recommends Afamour, is crucial the maintenance and conservation of the parks; the cleaning and withdrawal of dangerous elements of the zone of games (glasses, tins…); as well as that facilitate information of the ages of use, of the title of the park and the telephones of repairs and emergencies.