Children need to be dragged away from the television over the Christmas holidays and taken outside for an hour’s exercise a day, the government will tell parents today. Ministers fear that the festive break, which children often spend hunched over the games console eating sweets, can encourage unhealthy behaviour.The children’s minister, Kevin Brennan, and the health minister, Dawn Primarolo, want families to spend “quality time” together by going for walks in the fresh air. “It is tempting to stay in, turn on the telly and tuck into a family box of chocolates during this time of year,” said Brennan. “But why not take part as a family in outdoor activities like going for a walk in the park or a trip to the leisure centre?
