Tackling the obesity crisis

John Challinor, Publisher

More than one in four of the UK’s adult population are classified as obese - and this figure, like our waistlines, is slowly increasing year on year. With this comes all the associated issues, such as increased costs to the NHS through chronic conditions and worsening mental health. As well as lower economic productivity, it also means that millions of people are simply not able to enjoy healthy and fulfilling lives.

The current- and future- government need to address this issue by tackling the causes, as well as the effects. We should be looking to embed physical activity in the lives of children, teaching them the joy of movement through play, sport, swimming and active travel. According to a study led by German life sciences consultancy Stradoo, children who are severely obese are at risk of halving their life expectancy if they don’t lose weight. Is this really what we want for our young people?

Speaking during a debate on school swimming, John Cryer, MP said the importance of swimming and water safety lessons in school “should never be underestimated”. He is also now backing calls for PE to be made a ‘core’ subject. Let’s hope that these calls are successful as swimming and physical activity in general are key life skills and should be treated as such. We should also be looking at policies and initiatives that make it easy and compelling for adults to access as broad a range of sports and activities to keep them fit and mobile for as long as possible. Not only will this help to tackle the weight-gain crisis, but in an aging population exercise is known to prevent disease, lower the risk of falls, improve mental health and improve cognitive function. The outcomes are positive for everyone, from health providers and employers to the individuals concerned - it just needs greater government support.

John Challinor, Publisher