Schools 'need to encourage exercising outdoors'
15/10/2009 Schools need to encourage pupils to take part in more physical activities such as exercising outdoors, and walking to school, it has been claimed.
According to weight loss solution service Healthier Weight, schools should be more proactive in tackling child obesity rather than simply promoting healthy foods.
"The best thing any school can do is to stop fussing about the contents of children's lunch boxes and concentrate on providing safe walkways to school and facilities for children to store their bicycles," commented the body's Dr David Ashton.
His comments follow research from the Department of Children, Schools and Families entitled Children and Young People's Participation in Organised Sport - Omnibus Survey which was published earlier this year and highlighted the low levels of exercise some children get.
It was noted that the mean level of reported participation in organised sport outside of the school day among five to 19 year-olds was just over an hour and a half a week.
Almost 47 per cent of kids questioned admitted to taking no part in organised sports.
According to weight loss solution service Healthier Weight, schools should be more proactive in tackling child obesity rather than simply promoting healthy foods.
"The best thing any school can do is to stop fussing about the contents of children's lunch boxes and concentrate on providing safe walkways to school and facilities for children to store their bicycles," commented the body's Dr David Ashton.
His comments follow research from the Department of Children, Schools and Families entitled Children and Young People's Participation in Organised Sport - Omnibus Survey which was published earlier this year and highlighted the low levels of exercise some children get.
It was noted that the mean level of reported participation in organised sport outside of the school day among five to 19 year-olds was just over an hour and a half a week.
Almost 47 per cent of kids questioned admitted to taking no part in organised sports.
