Children who spend too much time on their phone are at serious risk of hip fractures in 40s

Children who spend too much time on their phones are at serious risk of hip fractures in their 40s and 50s, an expert has warned. Dawn Skelton, a professor of ageing and health, said today’s children are far more sedentary than previous generations as they play less sport, are given too many lifts, and look at screens for hours on end. Because of this, their bones may weaken and fracture earlier than usual – and their parents could end up as their carers, she said. Professor Skelton, an adviser to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, added: ‘Young people need to move and jump about for their bones to grow properly because they build the vast majority of their bones by the time they reach puberty. After the age of 15 it’s not as easy to lay down bone, and growth slows significantly.’ She has urged parents to enforce hourly screen breaks and to encourage children to be more active through walking and sport. Unless sedentary habits change, this generation could well end up with hip fractures in their 40s and 50s instead of their 70s and 80s. Parents could end up as carers for their children.’