Being overweight is a worry to all of us.

It is even more worrying when we're told that children living in inner city areas are more likely to get heart disease later in life, because they don't exercise enough.

A survey of over 3,500 pupils from five inner city secondary schools in Leicester funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found:

* more than half of the schoolchildren watched TV or played computer games for more than four hours a day
* only half the children walked to school
* girls were more inactive than boys, with only 12 per cent saying they did any kind of exercise at break time

Pupils came from white and south Asian backgrounds. The findings are particularly worrying as south Asians had a 50 per cent higher death rate from heart disease than the rest of the population.

Also, a history of type 2 diabetes or heart disease in parents is a risk factor for the development of the conditions in their children.

Professor Kamlesh Khunti from Leicester University, who was involved in the study, said that the government and healthcare professionals need to help prevent the levels of childhood obesity.

"Inactive behaviour, such as watching television, may predict subsequent adult overweight and obesity in children ad adolescents... Parents, schools and community health providers need to address the results of these findings to reduce the future risks of developing diabetes and heart disease in children."

Dr Mike Knapton, BHF's Director of Prevention and Care, said that the results were alarming, "Research like this will help us to better tailor healthcare and health education to today's multicultural UK population."