How Can We Tackle Childhood Obesity?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), childhood obesity is one of the biggest global public health challenges for the 21st century.
This is a key challenge for the UK because they have one of the highest levels of childhood obesity in Western Europe. Interestingly, the problem runs deeper in deprived areas, with obesity being double that of children living in wealthier areas.
Research by the HSCIC National Child Measurement Programme England 2014/2015, revealed that around one third of children in Year 6 were leaving primary school overweight or obese
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive Sir Harpal Kumar said, “Encouraging more exercise in schools is to be welcomed... we also need restrictions on marketing and promotion of unhealthy foods.”
One of the biggest obstacles we face, is that most children aren’t spending anywhere near enough time playing outdoors. Surveys among children, reveal that many of them would prefer to spend time enjoying healthy outdoor activities if only more were available to them.
Computer screens, parents’ fears for children’s safety and too much homework can often play a role in denying children the opportunity to explore the outdoors.
It’s also down to us to choose the environments we expose our children to because they play a big part in influencing their choices, diet and physical activity habits.
The NHS recommends five ways to help children maintain a healthy weight:
- Be a good role model. Children learn by example
- Encourage 60 minutes of physical activity a day
- Keep to child size portions
- Eat healthy meals, drinks and snacks
- Less screen time and more sleep
Playing outdoors will help fight obesity and as a bonus, outdoor play will help them sleep better too. It’s simple, the more a child moves, the more energy and calories they will burn
Here are 6 ways to help you and your children get outside and active:
- 1. Say “No” to screens. Challenge your child to go a week without screens and spend that time playing outside instead. You will see an improvement in their wellbeing and behaviour.
- Look after your outdoor space.It doesn’t have to be pristine (it never will be if children are using it properly!) but cut grass, trim hedges and remove debris so that it is always accessible. Involve the kids - gardening is good exercise too!
- Play together. Children love sharing experiences with family. Create games and set good examples by going out together for walks and bike rides. Scoot to school, play in parks, climb trees and simply enjoy each other’s company in the fresh air.
- Trust your children to take risks -Children need to be allowed to take more risks to learn impotent life lessons and learn from their mistakes. If they fall and hurt themselves (like we did as children), they will pick themselves back up, learn from it and not shy away from new challenges in the future.
- Get involved with your child’s school –Can the parents work together to help improve the outdoor facilities at the school? Do you have fundraising ideas for the PTA? Children spend a large chunk of their time at school and the quality of the playground can play a huge part in influencing children to embrace the outdoors.
- Grow fruit and vegetables- This is a fantastic way to encourage children outside while educating them on healthy foods at the same time. If space is limited, a window box or pots in the yard are perfect for strawberries, tomatoes, peas and beans. This can help reinforce good habits and increase a child’s chance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
Author bio
Emma Homan is an educational copywriter for Pentagon Play and a mother of two who enjoys sharing information on parenting and outdoor education. Pentagon Play are one of the leading providers of school playground equipment in the UK.
Main reference links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-child-measurement-programme
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19870199
