Kids huffing and puffing

On average, children run a mile 90 seconds slower than children did 30 years ago, a study of global fitness finds.

Experts believe the study, in which researchers analyzed 46 years of data of 25 million children in 28 countries, indicates that children’s fitness levels are generally declining, according to BBC News. Cardiovascular endurance as measured by how far children—boys and girls from 9 to 17 years of age—can run in a set time diminished by about 5 percent in every decade of the study. The phenomenon is generally linked to increased fat mass and is mostly a problem of Western countries, but South Korea, mainland China and Hong Kong are also experiencing a decline in cardiovascular fitness among children.