The sad state of our kids
Our children don't get enough exercise, eat too much fast food and watch too much television.
According to the 2014 Healthy Active Kids SA report card, released by Discovery Vitality yesterday, close to a third (27%) of girls between 15 and 17 are overweight or, worse, obese.
In the same age group just under 10% of boys fall into the same category.
The report card is a review of the latest research on children's health and their habits.
It took into account how much they play, how much fast food they eat, how much television they watch, and how much support they get for making healthy choices at home and at school.
Though there have been some improvements in children's health, the report card claims that not nearly enough is being done to help them eat better and exercise more.
Over 25% of girls and 9% of boys aged 15 to 17 were classified overweight or obese.
More than two-thirds of adolescents are believed to eat fast food at least three times a week.
The percentage of people over 16 who eat fast food at least once a month increased from 65% in 2008 to 78% in 2012.
A lack of packed-lunch boxes, and too many school tuckshops that stock mostly unhealthy foods, were also found to contribute to the current state of children's health.
Report co-author and University of Cape Town professor of biology Vicki Lambert said it was time for parents to "step up" and get in touch with their children's dietary preferences, and how pocket money is spent.
"There is remarkably low engagement with school sporting events as parents struggle with the priorities of working life," she said.
At least half of children aged between six and 18 spend less than 20 minutes a day on physical activities - 40 minutes less than is recommended for good health.
To make matters worse, less than two-thirds of children participate in fitness classes. In urban primary schools, 34% of 10-year-olds did not have any physical education sessions.
Of the 16 countries surveyed for the study, South Africa was rated 13th on child health.