FEATURE FOCUS: TACKLING CHILDHOOD OBESITY
We must all pull our weight to fight childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is a growing issue – in every sense. It’s also a hugely complex one when it comes
to solving what is a global problem, with the UK one of the worst offenders. In 2017, the Royal College of Paediatrics and
Child Health (RCPCH) estimated that almost one in five children were overweight or obese when they start primary school, rising to one in three when they start secondary school. Obese children are much more likely to be obese adults, causing significant health risks, as well as low self-esteem and body image issues. The nature of obesity is such that it increases
I
n our first feature this month looking at the issue of childhood obesity, Brian Cape, CEO
at SIPS Education, examines the ongoing challenges of obesity in schoolchildren, and what local authorities, schools, and organisations such as his own can do to fight it.
the risk of a range of health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers, and prematurely doubles the risk of dying. The NHS already spends over £5.1 billion a year treating conditions relating to obesity. There are myriad factors at play – from socio-
demographic to geographic, education (of both students and parents) to the three lockdowns of the last 12 months. As a school meals provider to 60 schools in Sandwell and the wider West Midlands, serving to around 15,000 students a day, it is of course high on our list of priorities.
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www.education-today.co.uk
Better food, better results A poor diet can have significant effects on children's behaviour, concentration and mood. Children with diets lacking in essential vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids tend to perform worse academically, cannot concentrate and are more aggressive. In 2004, Jamie Oliver’s School Dinners
campaign introduced drastic changes in the meals offered in 81 schools in the London borough of Greenwich, moving from low-budget processed meals high in saturated fat, salt and sugar towards healthier options. A 2009 study confirmed the significant benefits
of the campaign; it showed that healthy school meals significantly improved educational outcomes and led to a 15% reduction in absenteeism due to sickness. Another study, from Finland, shows that a
healthy diet (rich in vegetables, fruit, berries, whole grain, fish and unsaturated fats, and low in sugary products) is associated with better reading skills in the first three school years. Research has also found that providing primary school children with a free and nutritious meal before school can boost reading, writing and maths results by the equivalent of two months’ progress over the
April 2021
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