Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the BHF said: "Parents and children rooted to the sofa watching over four hours of television each night paints a worrying picture of kids' daily habits.

"Ideally parents and children should lead an active lifestyle together but if this isn't possible then parents need to take charge and ensure a healthier way of life for the next generation. It's time to switch off the box and get the nation's kids moving again."

Year six children and their parents were recruited from 40 primary schools in Bristol to participate in the study to examine parents and children's physical activity patterns. Parental and child physical activity and inactive time was assessed using accelerometers. These are small devices that provide accurate and reliable indices of physical activity among both children and adults.

The study is part of a larger project, the Bristol 3Ps Project, which examines the influences of peers and parents on physical activity participation in 10-11 year old children.

Source: University of Bristol