Huge opportunity to make an impact on childhood obesity

Paediatricians are being urged to play a part in guiding families to be more active / photo: www.shutterstock.com/Kletr

Author of ‘Abbie Gets Fit’, and Senior Manager,

Core Health and Fitness

There was great news out of the US recently that should have far-reaching effects on our industry for years to come. In a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) – the country’s largest organisation of medical professionals dedicated to the health and wellbeing of children – a mea culpa of sorts was issued on the topic of childhood obesity prevention and treatment. The report – The role of the pediatrician in primary prevention of obesity – finally clearly acknowledges the role doctors must play in this critical issue, for all overweight or obese children and their families.

In this journal two years ago, I wrote: “Physicians have an authority level that most parents respect and follow with little hesitation, especially when it comes to the health of their children. If we’re going to win this battle, physicians have to treat the obesity condition the same as all other illnesses. This not only includes appropriate testing for the condition, but also the issuance of a ‘prescription’ to exercise when justified.”

In a section of the AAP report titled ‘Leisure and Lifestyle Physical Activity’, one of the strategies recommended is that paediatricians actively encourage families to meet physical activity guidelines daily, and help families identify opportunities for physical activity in the community – including at sports clubs. This is a direct invitation to our industry to reach out to these physicians to help fulfill this physical activity objective. We would be foolish to ignore it!

Kids’ activity: Data and realigned attitudes

Founder/CEO,

Fit For Sport

The formation of ukactive Kids – and its recent Generation Inactive report into childhood inactivity – is hopefully a large step forward in an important journey. The benefits of a more active life reach far beyond reducing obesity in our children, with a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, academic performance, social skills and physical health into adulthood.

Many schools are already informally monitoring activity levels, but the time has come for more widespread, formal, standardised measurement of physical literacy and motor skills – something only 1 per cent of schools currently do – to build our knowledge base and more effectively target our efforts.

One important fact raised by the report is that even within PE lessons, fewer than half the schools surveyed tracked actual time spent being active. We really don’t know how much our children are benefiting from the current levels of physical education they receive.

We also need a more holistic approach to physical activity in schools: the ‘whole day’ approach advocated by the report, as well as the broadening of attitudes so physical activity means more than just PE lessons or structured sports classes. We need every child to be engaged in fun activity, even if they shy away from team sports or more traditional forms of exercise.

To achieve this, teachers must receive the right training and support, and parents must receive the right advice. This will help ensure we get everybody behind the incredible new initiative that ukactive Kids represents, and make physical illiteracy and damaging levels of inactivity a thing of the past.