Would you buy your child a treadmill?

Would you want your kid running on a treadmill to stay fit? More importantly, would your kid be interested in running in one place? One toy manufacturer says yes to both questions and has developed a couple of new fitness products designed with little ones in mind -- Fitness Fun's My Treadmill and Glide-a-Stride. But the exercise machines are causing quite a stir, according to Boston.com.

On one hand, something has to be done to combat childhood obesity and inactivity. On the other?
Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Clinic at Children's Hospital Boston, says, "We have to remember that children are not just little adults. Kids' bodies and their minds are not designed to spend 20 minutes on a treadmill. [This] reflects, I think, a misguided mentality, where we're trying to make physical activity for children a commodity rather than a natural integrated part of their lives." (You can read more of the debate here.)

A few decades ago, kids didn't need a treadmill to get fit -- they didn't have video games, computers and 102 channels of programming to keep them indoors. If you ask me, parents should save their money and instead limit the amount of sit-down activities their child is engaged in. Maybe a treadmill will get them moving for the moment, but if you ask me, it's not an effective, lasting solution to combat obesity -- building a child's love of exercise through regular fun, engaging activities is the way to go.

What do you think?

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