"Being sedentary and inactive is a proven risk for the health of a teenager"

The coronavirus could worsen these sedentary behaviors.

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• The extent of the time spent in front of screens and without physical activity causes health risks for two thirds of young people today in France, warns an ANSES study.

• “The situation is very worrying.

  The adult world must ensure that young people acquire health behaviors, both physical and mental, ”warns Irène Margaritis, author of the study for ANSES.

Too many screens, not enough physical activity.

In summary, it is the explosive cocktail that threatens the health of more and more adolescents, according to a study by the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) published on Monday.

A finding reinforced by the two successive confinements which caused the activity of all French people to fall.

This physical activity is however necessary for these young people who will keep these habits once adults and who are exposed to the risks of diabetes, overweight or cancer.

interviewed Irène Margaritis, head of the health agency's nutritional risk assessment unit, which is sounding the alarm.

What is the finding drawn up by this study?

The main finding is the very high proportion of young people aged 11 to 17 who spend a lot of time on a screen and who do not have enough physical activity for their health.

It is very visible: on the one hand, we have an attractiveness of the screens which greatly attracts the attention of young people.

On the other hand, today, children have very wide ranges of lessons, from morning to evening, which leaves little possibility of having a sporting activity.

In terms of physical activity, such as walking or cycling, it has been very neglected with the all-car culture, which means that children and adolescents have become accustomed to motorized travel. .

What surprised you the most?

What surprised us is their number.

We knew that these were behaviors that existed, but we didn't think there were so many.

Two thirds of adolescents are in a very unfavorable situation for their health.

The problem is that teens and parents are not yet aware of the risks involved.

The fact of not having physical activity, we know today that it exposes to health problems for sure.

Being sedentary and inactive is itself a health risk, studies show.

The situation is very worrying.

The adult world must ensure that young people acquire behaviors for health, both physical and mental.

Are there any risk factors based on age?

From the place of residence?

From the social environment?

Girls have more trouble moving than boys.

It is a fairly marked dropout in adolescence, which we do not see in children.

There are a lot of causes for this: culturally, the look on the girl who moves is not the same as on the boy who moves.

Among the elderly, there is a feeling of insecurity on the part of the parents when the girls go out.

It is successive shifts that make girls more sedentary than boys.

The socio-professional environment also plays a role: children and adolescents from families with low income or with a low level of education appear to be the most affected by high levels of sedentary lifestyle.

Age also: at 15-17 years old, we are less active than at 12-14 years old.

Has Covid-19 made it worse?

Mechanically, confinement increased physical inactivity.

With this second confinement, a lot of high schools provide sports lessons only every other week.

The teens, who sit doing their homework all day, experience semi-confinement.

Why is it important to be physically active?

What diseases can cause these behaviors?

There is a greater risk of obesity and overweight, problems directly linked to the time of sedentary lifestyle.

We are starting to see type II diabetes in teenagers, and that's new.

With screens, teens are very exposed to ads that encourage consumption of certain fatty and energy foods, and there is more snacking.

These sedentary young people develop health problems in adulthood, including heart disease, metabolic disease or cancer (breast, colon), which we know are partly linked to inactivity.

There is also less well-being: a sedentary lifestyle long during the day can increase the risks for mental health.

We observe for example that there is less self-esteem, it is a very important indicator in psychology.

Sedentary lifestyle also presents risks for sleep: poorer quality of sleep, longer time to fall asleep, increased nervousness.

What solutions for teens?

Education in physical activity starts very early and is often neglected because the child has a strong spontaneous activity, which he then loses little by little.

To get back to physical activity, you need family participation, with parental involvement.

There is also a collective responsibility to attract children and adolescents off screens which are made to be as attractive as possible.

The school must talk about it, tell them that it is very important.

These habits are found in adulthood and, when they are installed, it is difficult to reverse.

Teens need to understand today that it is essential for them to go outside.

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