The problem of increasing time spent in a sitting position is largely a concern for children and adolescents, given the ever-increasing preoccupation with tablets and mobile phones. At the same time, time spent studying or reading books, although it is also a sedentary time, seems to be beneficial as it improves children’s school performance and other social skills, which ultimately positively affects their overall health.

According to a recent report from the World Health Organization, high-intensity physical activity has many health benefits for children and adolescents, including cardiorespiratory status, muscle strength, bone health and cardiometabolism, and reduced risk of obesity. It also appears to reduce the likelihood of depression, improving the clinical picture of children who already suffer from it. At the same time, it is associated with improved cognitive functions such as memory and executive ability, and therefore better school performance.

Conversely, time spent sedentary is associated with poorer cardiometabolic health, greater fat deposition and obesity, limited socialization, and lower student achievement, except for time spent reading and studying. Therefore, we understand that it is not enough for children, teens and adults to have physical activity in their lives, but to reduce sedentary time as much as possible, or at least limit it to reading time, reducing the maximum possible screen time.

* Dr. Spiros Kanellakis is a nutritionist, nutritionist, psychologist.