Why do the clocks change when it is winter or summer? It is a practice that has been going for years in one way or another to make the most of the sun and allow early morning workers such as farmers more time to work in the light. It has been a debated issue for the last decade with calls this year from the government to experiment not changing the clocks. The government wants to introduce a Bill which would bring the UK into line with Central European Time (CET) for a trial period of three years. Researchers believe this would ensure children remained more active throughout the year thus helping to reduce obesity.
Recent studies into the behaviour of children throughout the seasons found that children would be more active if we stuck with British Summer Time. The study measured the body movements of 325 children in Hertfordshire in their daily routine for 817 days over the four seasons and found children were most active on days with 14 or more hours of daylight. Researchers claim that ‘This strengthens the public health argument for the Daylight Saving Bill currently under consideration by the House of Commons, which proposes putting the clocks forward by an extra hour all year round.’ The researchers also believe that here study shows that longer days could be an effective way of tackling the UK’s obesity epidemic and help reduce obesity. In 2008 the number of overweight children aged 2-15 was around one in seven and it has been predicted that by 2025, nearly half of men and over a third of women will be obese. What is more, the British Medical Journal has reported: ‘The additional hours of daylight would considerably increase opportunities for outdoor leisure activities: about 300 more for adults and 200 more for children each year, given typical daily patterns of activity.’ So is there a real argument for not changing the clocks in October and will it help children to remain active and as a result reduce obesity? What do you think? Would you like to see the UK try this new Bill?
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