Nursery World - Lack of play is a 'time bomb' for children

Britain's children face a 'time bomb' of physical and mental illness because of a lack of outdoor play opportunities and excercise, according to the chair of an international conference on children's outdoor spaces. Professor Lamine Mahdjoubi said, 'As councils cut their spending on outdoor spaces and society encourages physical idleness, obesity is becoming an epidemic. Young people now face heart problems, diabetes and other diseases because of their sedentary lifestyles.'

Professor Lamine Mahdjoubi said, 'As councils cut their spending on outdoor spaces and society encourages physical idleness, obesity is becoming an epidemic. Young people now face heart problems, diabetes and other diseases because of their sedentary lifestyles.'

Keynote speaker Professor Dick Jackson said that mental illness could be related to badly designed neighbourhoods.

The University of the West of England's Faculty of the Built Environment hosted the conference in Bristol, called 'Planning and designing healthy outdoor spaces for young people in the 21st century'. It brought together experts on planning policy, safety, transport, health, food and physical activity.

To Play or Not to Play, a parents' lobbying group from Glasgow, aired concerns about children's changing environment. 'The streets are unrecognisable from our youth,' said member Marie Forsyth. 'Now they are full of traffic, and play spaces are desolate and scarred by drug-taking.'

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