How do I get him to play outdoors?

I am having a problem with my 10 year old son. Since the holidays began he prefers to just stay in his room playing computer games only coming out occasionally to watch TV. I am starting to worry that he will grow into a lazy obese child if this continues. Please advise me on what to do. Lillian, KicukiroDear Lillian, thank you so much for raising this very pertinent issue. Of late many children are getting addicted to spending their leisure sitting in one place. They are either playing video games or watching TV. This is not so healthy especially when they combine it with eating junk food and snacks all the time something that has seen the rise in obesity figures the world over. Indeed you have to find ways of encouraging your son to play from outside more often. To start with, make sure your son has a reason to go outside. It may be wise to invest in a bicycle, skate board, roller skates or simply a ball. This way he can go out and ride around or play with the ball alone or with friends. Playing actively outside helps to develop muscle strength and gain self confidence. Besides luring him to go outside, you can also find ways of ‘chasing’ him from the house. For example you can agree with him that TV and computer games should not be touched between certain hours. Make sure he understands that spending hours watching TV or playing computer games affects the electricity bill too. More importantly you can once in a while join your child outdoors for any game. He will love it.