A new survey shows one in three Queensland kids are spending too much time in front of screens.

The Cancer Council says it’s placing children at a high risk of obesity and chronic disease.

Meg Waller reports.

TRANSCRIPT:

The new statistics reveal half of Queensland children aged five to seventeen aren’t active everyday.

And that makes them vulnerable to health problems.

Katie Clift, Cancer Council spokesperson: “We need to live more active lives, we need to have less screen time, encouraging our kids to do so, and having those habits instilled in us as adults as role models as well.”

One in four Queensland children are also obese or overweight..a worrying issue for parents.

Elise Parups, Acting CEO, P&C Queensland: “Set some really great boundaries for kids around their use of technology after school, get them outdoors as well as indoors, make sure they are having a good balance, and possibly try and restrict their use of the Google search engines in your own home.”

And the worst offenders are those you might expect to be more active.

Teenagers are spending the most time in front of screen with only one in five meeting the recommended guidelines of 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

One program called Nature Play Queensland is encouraging unstructured play outdoors and in nature, and not necessarily team sport.

Hyanno Moser, Program Manager, Nature Play Queensland: “We have a highly successful program that is proving that practical play tools, such as the nature play passport can inspire young kids to diverge from screens and go outside and play.

Meg Waller, QUT News.