COMPUTER games, television, fast food and cars could be just some of the reasons why 10 per cent of Bolton children are now classed as medically obese.

Over the past 20 years, children's fitness levels have plummeted as less of them walk to school, parents are more reluctant to let them play out and the allure of computer games and TV often holds much more appeal than a kickabout with a football.

Home-cooked, wholesome family meals can be a rarity with children often snacking, eating microwave meals or takeaway if their parents are working late.

A lack of activity and poor diet is helping to create even younger coach potatoes and many children's lifestyles are in need of an overhaul.

Some fitness experts blame parents for not rearing their children to be healthy, and others have called for the Government to increase the PE curriculum in schools.

While many schools are trying to improve their pupils' fitness levels, they are often constrained by the time that they are allowed to devote to PE.

At Hayward School, Morris Green, the PE staff introduced the electronic "Bleep Test" which measures fitness levels through children completing shuttle runs in a certain amount of time across the gym.

Pupils in Years Seven, Eight and Nine undergo the test at both the start and end of each term, but staff are now using the test as a constructive way to improve pupils' fitness levels.

Last term, PE staff introduced an awards scheme for the girls with trophies presented to the pupils achieving the highest score for the Bleep Test in each year group.

The offer of an incentive has made the test highest scorer one of the most coveted titles at the school, and girls have exhausted themselves competing to win the trophy.

Sandy Reid, PE teacher and head of Year Nine, says: "We always tell the pupils that it doesn't matter how well they do as long as they do their best and show some improvement, but announcing that we would hand out trophies had an enormous impact and all the girls were desperate to win."

The awards scheme for the girls has proved so popular that it may be extended to the boys, although Mrs Reid thinks the girls are usually more competitive than the boys.

Pupils are also being encouraged to take more responsibility for their own fitness and are being taught how to measure their heart rate and learn about which muscles they are using.

Mrs Reid, who has taught PE since 1976, has seen both boys' and girls' fitness levels drop and wishes the minimal one hour and 40 minute PE class per week could be increased as so many pupils do not pursue sport out of school.

She says: "I often ask the children when was the last time they ran and got out of breath, and it was when then they came to the PE class the week before.

"Some of them struggle to even jog around the sports field. Too many of them smoke, go home in taxis and are not eating healthily."

She adds: "There are still plenty of kids who are passionate about sport and being super fit, but there's too many in what I would term the 'grey area'.

"I just hope the message is getting through that if they don't look after themselves now, then they will become ill when they're older."

Mrs Reid says unless PE instructors try to build up children's levels of fitness, heart disease could be rife in the future.

Kelly Tyldesley, aged 13, from Great Lever, underwent a hip operation when she was a youngster and can only run short distances before she loses her breath. However, she loves taking part in PE and is a big fan of the Bleep Test.

She says: "Even if my bleep score only goes up by one mark at the end of term it makes me really happy.

"It's good to keep up my fitness, even though I can't overdo it. I don't understand the kids who aren't interested in looking after themselves."

Dr Ian James runs a practice in Chorley Old Road and has become increasingly concerned by the number of obese children he sees at his surgery.

He blames the Government's emphasis on academic achievement for the decline in children's fitness levels and is keen to see more time devoted to PE on the school curriculum.

Dr James warns that if youngsters do not become more active then Bolton will be home to a future generation of adults suffering from diabetes, asthma, hypertension and heart disease.

He says: "Children have far too much academic work and not enough physical activity.

"It's a huge problem and I regularly see patients who are developing diabetes at a younger age, and asthmatics who are having particular problems because of their weight.

"It saddens me greatly that children are under so much academic pressure. Their workload should be cut by a third and replaced with PE classes. But something likes this needs to come from Westminster."