TOKYO: Elderly Japanese are fitter and more agile than they were 20 years ago but their grandchildren are flabbier and weaker, according to a nationwide survey that raises further fears about the physical state of the country’s youth. An education ministry survey of 73,000 people aged between six and 79 showed that fitness levels among the middle-aged and elderly had improved markedly since the first survey in 1985.

Older participants were asked to perform three exercises to test their strength, agility and speed. In a sideways jumping test, those aged 35-59 recorded the best results ever. Children and teenagers, however, performed miserably. Those aged 7, 9, 11, 13, 16 and 19 were monitored in six sports and athletic activities.

Nine-year-old boys took an average of 9.69 seconds to cover 50 metres, 0.12 seconds slower than their 1985 counterparts. The children in the recent survey could throw a ball an average of only 21.65 metres, 3.5 metres down on 20 years ago.

Too many hours spent indoors and a high-calorie diet are taking their toll, experts said. Cholesterol levels and obesity in Japanese children are on the rise.

A health ministry official said older people were fitter because “they have come to understand the importance of physical exercise in recent years, and have actually been involved in it regularly.” But the results come as a blow for health officials, who in 2001 launched a 10-year initiative to encourage children to do more sport.

Junichiro Aoki, a professor at Juntendo University, called on the Japanese government to promote regional athletics and other sports clubs. —Dawn/The Guardian News Service