Former track and field star and Australian Olympian Jane Flemming is leading the push to introduce stand-up desks in classrooms to combat obesity.
The 52-year-old says children should stand in every second class because “sitting is a shocker for brain function and physical health”.
About one in four Australian children aged between two and 17 are considered overweight or obese.
Speaking to the Herald Sun Ms Flemming said she would love to see legislation for stand-up desks in every second class and for safe drop off zones at schools to be further from the gate.
She called the situation an “easy fix” if legislation was introduced.
“It is about incidental activity and getting people off their butts,” Ms Flemming said.
“The biggest decline in physical activity occurs the day someone starts school.
Photo: Jane Flemming (Youtube)
“When I was at school the fat kid was considered the stand out whereas now they are the norm.”
She is due to talk about obesity at the Australian Medical Association’s national conference on Sunday.
Ms Flemming two Olympic Games and took home two gold medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, in long jump and the heptathlon.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told 3AW Radio that he himself has a standing desk.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say sitting is the new smoking — but the more you can stand the better,” he told the station.
“I know some people are advocating, I think Jane Fleming was saying that kids should take classes standing up, I’ll consult my daughter Daisy on that at — I’m not sure whether the fidgeting factor would affect that.
“I think we should let the school teachers run their own classes, don’t you?”
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