The apple doesn't fall far…

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You've heard that old adage before - and I'm sure you would agree that there's often a fair degree of truth to it.

It's hardly the type of thing that's worth subjecting to a lengthy study - unless you're a researcher from Baylor College of Medicine or Duke University.

Researchers from these two institutions studied 681 parents and 433 kids in order to come up with this shocking conclusion: the kids of parents who like team sports are more likely to join sports teams or have active lifestyles. They're also less apt to be parked in front of the TV and more likely to be found outside.

In a news release, study author Cheryl Braselton Anderson said, "Playing team sports, especially the more strenuous ones, really makes a difference in decreasing both boys' and girls' media use and making them more active."

Well, no kidding.

I find it amazingly tough to believe that such a premise would even require testing.

I wonder if the researchers considered the fact that these fourth and fifth graders don't set their own schedules or make their own decisions. So is it any wonder that they tend to have the same pastimes and exercise habits as their parents?