CHILDREN as young as three are spending much of their waking hours sitting in front of the television -- and new research says many are showing signs of obesity. Are we really rearing a generation of real-life Teletubbies? Irma Heger investigates.

BY the time children start primary school, one in 10 are already struggling with obesity -- a condition which is the biggest health threat to British children today.

Parents apparently fail to make sure their toddlers are physically active, while nurseries are said to be guilty of the same offence.

Libby Denham, Senior Health and Fitness Development Officer for Bolton, says the latest findings do not come as a shock to her.

"It doesn't surprise me one bit -- inactivity levels are awful," she said.

Such inactivity seemed to start younger and younger, and by primary school age this behaviour was becoming ingrained.

"We need to focus our efforts on toddlers," said Libby. She wants to see investment in education for all ages to combat the problem.

The latest research was undertaken by Dr John Reilly and a team from Glasgow University, who measured the activity levels of 104 children using small monitors on the waist.

Dr Reilly said today's parents were not ensuring babies and toddlers had the same levels of physical play and activity as in the past. Many sat watching television all day.

The levels of inactivity in British toddlers are said to be the same as those recorded in teenagers in the US -- the country with the worst obesity problem in the world.

Libby says an active lifestyle is not necessarily about taking part in sport -- just about making different choices.

She argues it is about keeping everyone moving, rather than "being an athlete".

Libby advises parents not to take the "easy option" by taking the children on car journeys of less than a mile -- or putting them in front of the telly while doing the housework.

But Lorna Delvard, of North house Nursery, Blackburn Road, Sharples, does not agree with the research findings that too many toddlers are not active enough.

"There are very few of them who will sit still and it's very hard to pin them down," she said.

Lorna said toddlers enjoyed "free play", including outdoor play sessions and playing with balls, bats and push-along toys, while from the age of three, more structured physical play took place. The latter incorporated skills such as balancing and hand to eye co-ordination.

But a lot seems to depend on the attitude of the parents -- as proven by a two-year-old son of a cricket fan at North House who already "bowls overarm", according to Lorna.

Libby Denham added that an active lifestyle for toddlers had to go hand in hand with a healthy diet, and an end to bad eating habits and misleading claims by children's food manufacturers.

She said: "It's very much a case of working with parents to ensure they understand the benefit of a healthy, active lifestyle."

There are two national programmes aimed at helping tiny tots aged 18 months to three years, and three to five year olds, to experience physical activities and games.

The Top Tots programme for the smallest children, and Top Start for pre-schoolers, are schemes organised by the Youth Sports Trust charity.

The Trust believes developing children's love of physical activity at an early age is crucial to motivate them to develop an active, healthy lifestyle. Top Tots tries to develop their understanding, movement and co-ordination skills with aiming games, running and taking games, batting games, and collecting-on-the-move games.

Top Start encourages spatial awareness, basic motor skills, co-ordination and control, as well as the skills of aiming, predicting and estimating.

Parents and carers can order a Top Tots rucksack with equipment and a resource booklet (£27.50 plus VAT) by phoning Davies Sports on 0845 1204 515. The rucksack won the Time Out 2000 Good Toy Guide Gold Award.

For more details, see www.youthsport.net