2015-08-21
1034
Most teenage girls want to be fitter and lose weight, but fewer than half do any weekly exercise, according to research.
A study due to be published also found that fewer than half of all young people eat any fresh fruit daily despite Government recommendations. It found that the very reason that girls want to exercise more inhibits them. They want to exercise to improve their appearance, but many do not because they do not like the way that they look while exercising.
Helen Haste, a professor of psychology at Bath University and the author of the report, My Body, My Self, to be published this month by the Nestle Social Research Foundation, said: “Work has been done before on young people’s behaviour in relation to health, but we were interested in their attitudes to health, fitness and exercise. We can’t persuade young people to change their behaviour just by telling them what’s good for them, but need to appeal to what is important to them. “Talking about being healthy in itself is not the right way to appeal to them, but being fitter and more attractive is.”
Professor Haste said fewer than half her sample exercised once a week, apart from walking. Asked why they did not exercise 49% of girls said that they did not feel comfortable exercising in front of other people, 35% said they did not have time, 34% said they did not look good in exercise clothes, 33% said they did not to look too muscular and 30% said they were no good at sport. Almost half the girls (47%) said they would rather dance or do yoga than take part in traditional sports.
