Standing could be hard for school kids: PM

Malcolm Turnbull won't go so far as saying sitting is the new smoking, but the prime minister is a fan of standing up.

Mr Turnbull revealed he has standing desks in both his Parliament House and Sydney offices, saying the more you can stand while working the better.

But he's not sure the same would apply for fidgety children.

Olympian Jane Flemming believes school kids should be required to stand for half of their lessons in a bid to tackle obesity.

"I'll consult my daughter about that," Mr Turnbull told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio about Daisy, a teacher.

"I'm not sure whether the fidgeting factor would overcome the health benefits."

Flemming wants the change to be legislated, something the prime minister is not keen about.

"I think we should let school teachers run their own classes, don't you."