UK requires exercise for small children

(WWLP) - New guidelines in Britain require children under five years old to exercise so that they can avoid obesity later on in life.

The British government says children under five, including infants, should exercise every day. The guidelines recommend children under five be physically active for at least three hours per day, they also say that babies should be doing tummy time or in-swim lessons with their parents to help them gain strength.

The goal is to avoid obesity when the children become adults.

"I don't think it should be mandatory, but I think the kids should enjoy it. Too many times you see the kids sitting inside doing nothing," Fernando Martins of Winchendon said.

"By the time you're an adult, it's too late. You've got to form that dynamic when you’re younger," Emily Darcy of Chicopee said.

The new guidelines went into effect Monday. The government hopes to reduce obesity rates and lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.