Campaign to teenage girls active as research shows they face epidemic of chronic health conditions

SHOCK research that teenage girls in Australia face an epidemic of chronic conditions including depression and obesity unless they get active has prompted a new campaign urging girls to stop abandoning exercise.

Girls in Sport

SHOCK research that teenage girls in Australia face an epidemic of chronic conditions including depression, obesity and osteoporosis unless they get active has prompted a new campaign urging girls to stop abandoning exercise.

The majority of teenage girls in Australia — nearly 60 per cent of girls aged 15-to-17 — now report little or no exercise according to new research.

That compares with 38 per cent of teenage boys, many of whom continue to play team sports throughout high school.

The research suggests social media including Facebook and watching TV is replacing team sports and exercise outdoors with devastating impacts.

Women are also more likely to be overweight than men from their teenage years, with 43 per cent of those aged 18-24 overweight or obese.

By the age of 25, the majority of Australian women — 62.5 per cent are now overweight. A whopping 80 per cent of Australian women are overweight after the age of 45.

The $10 million campaign to be launched by Health Minister Sussan Ley called #girlsmakeyourmove will warn girls and parents that the decision to opt out of regular exercise can have lifelong impacts.

“Physical activity in the teenage years lays down the muscle and bone you need for the rest of your life,’’ Ms Ley said.

“It will also help us to tackle a serious “epidemic” of diseases and chronic conditions facing this current generation if they do not exercise more.

“The research is telling us around the late primary to early high school age girls first engage in some form of physical activity within peer groups. And if that first experience is not enjoyable the idea of exercise and sport also can become a negative,” Ms Ley said.

The new campaign will offer tips to parents including encouraging girls to allocate an hour a day to exercise even if it’s as simple as going for a walk or riding a bike.

Urging teenage girls to start slowly and “be kind to yourself’’ when starting a new sport it warns of the dangers of giving up at the first hurdle.

Ms Ley said low confidence in their ability and a fear of being judged was a factor.

“I’ve been a teenage girl, and there’s everything from pimples, periods and other puberty blues through to trying to ‘look cool’ and ‘fit in’ in your decision making when it comes to playing sport and exercising.”

“When you’re a boy, it’s cool to be a sports hero and get all sweaty and dirty. I want girls to get that message too.’’

The campaign will highlight the role of exercise in managing depression and anxiety.

“It doesn’t have to be intense exercise or even joining a team. Even moderate gentle exercise reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, colon cancer, obesity and even just minor injuries.

“Regular forms of activity also help manage stress, alleviate depression and anxiety, strengthen self-esteem, enhance mood and boost mental alertness.”

“We know, for girls, exercise and physical activity is the number one way to prevent illnesses later in life, like osteoporosis, which affects almost one quarter of all Australian women aged over 50,’’ Ms Ley said.

Originally published as Campaign to teenage girls active as research shows they face epidemic of chronic health conditions