The British government offered a warning for their youngest citizens – preschoolers, toddlers, and even babies – that if they do not want to become obese when they grow older, they need to start they daily exercises now.

On Monday, Britain started a campaign against obesity. The government basically wants all children below the age of 5 – even those who cannot walk yet – to exercise regularly. The guidelines indicate that kids should exercise for at least three hours a day, every day. Officials said that they see a growing trend among children living a more sedentary lifestyle. Instead of running around, children tend to spend more time with computers and television.

United Kingdom officials said that the three-hour recommended exercise time for kids under five years old should be spread throughout the day; the children could probably have an hour and thirty minutes playing in the morning then another hour and thirty in the afternoon. Exercises for children are not only limited to playing. You can have them walk around the park instead of carrying them in their strollers. There are also a lot of sport activities that the children can engage in at a young age of five and under – mini-basketballs, swimming, and badminton.

The government, however, said that the children’s individual mental and physical abilities must be considered when following their advice. For children who cannot walk yet, any floor-based play is extremely helpful for them. They exercise while moving around on their stomach; they can start reaching out to objects and the like.

What is important, the government said, is that parents introduce their children to physical activities early on because being sedentary is a habit that is difficult to shake off.

Fewer workers are planning to save for their retirement in the United Kingdom than those living in China and Malaysia, a report by HSBC bank showed on Thursday.

British workers fail to save for their own retirement as they continue to avoid the alarming changes to pension provision in the United Kingdom.

The survey shows that despite the impending shift in the workers-to-retirees’ ratio, workers are still spending too much of their yearly income and are setting aside too little money. Thus, they are highly at risk to suffer impoverishment in the future.

HSBC bank published the report, which assessed the attitudes of the people across the world towards retirement, on Thursday. British people knew that they would possibly live longer than the other generations ahead of them. However, although they were aware that traditional pensions were expected to weaken, they still failed to save enough money for their retirement.

The total number of people aged over 65 around the world is expected to increase from 550 million today to more than 1.4 billion in 2050. Thus, financial provision in later life is an important matter to consider.

The report says that both Europe and North America are nearing a crucial stage as the first group of baby boomers approach their retirement. In Europe, the working population is set to diminish from 2012 and onwards.

However, the survey, which asked 17,000 people in 17 countries, showed that one in five UK residents planned to rely solely on state provisions (currently equal to 100 euro per week) when they reach old age, and failed to save some of their money.