He makes the claims in an article to be published in The Daily Telegraph tomorrow.

 

The former Belgian rugby international writes: "When so many people are anxious about their [economic] futures, optimism runs truly counter to the spirit of the times.

 

"It is hard to argue for a longer-term view, and especially for confidence in a cause such as the 2012 Olympic Games, which requires ingenuity and boldness.

 

"However, the United Kingdom, like almost all other Western countries, is facing another crisis - a non-economic one - which if not addressed will have consequences for ourselves and our children more long-lasting than our current difficulties.

 

"Since the introduction of television in the 1950s the amount of time British children spend glued to a screen has risen to an average of five hours 20 minutes a day.

 

"Time spent being active - playing football, riding a bike, running in the park - has shrunk.

 

"While no one would expect every young child to be a budding Olympian, it is truly worrying that so many young people lead mostly sedentary lives, and are playing sport less and less."

 

It was the inspiring address by Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012, at the IOC Session in Singapore in July 6 about using a Games the capital to help reinvogarate the youth of the world that helped Britain beat Paris to win the bid.

 

Rogge, who is due to give a key-note lecture in London on Monday evening during a visit to Britain by the IOC to examine the lessons to be learnt from the Beijing Olympics, has now publicly backed Coe's vision.

 

He wrote: "I believe the 2012 Olympic Games can provide a great opportunity to energise and inspire a generation of young people to take up sport and healthy lifestyles.

 

"Seb Coe and the team at London 2012 are deeply engaged with challenging children and schools across the country to participate in this great adventure.

 

"As we saw in Beijing, the Olympic Games, and the Paralympic Games, inspire on so many levels - cultural, sporting, human - that few can fail to be moved.

 

"But while the achievements of elite athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Games, they are not the whole story.

 

"The Games also provide the impetus to improve the things that will make a truly massive difference to the quality of life for everyone in the UK.

 

"There will be more public and private investment in healthy, sustainable transport policies, housing and sports education.

 

"The Games brings the kind of focus on excellence that will make more of us want to focus on getting fitter, having better relationships and simply being happier and more able to learn and cope with life."

 

Rogge is also predicting that, despite the current worldwide credit crunch, that Britain will stage a memorable Olympics in 2012 and reap the benefits.

 

He wrote: "London will breathe its own magic into the Olympic Games, and, however difficult the economic situation now, all recessions do pass, and I believe London's Games will leave communities across Britain with a fantastic legacy for a very long time to come. "

 

To read the full article visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/london2012/3491514/2012-Games-can-make-a-massive-difference-to-the-quality-of-life-for-everyone-in-the-UK--Olympics.html.