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Tackling obesity in schools

Tackling obesity in schools

Children participating in sport

As the end of the school year approaches, many teachers, parents and pupils will be looking forward to a well-earned break, but whilst its healthy to take some time out, Newitts.com is actively encouraging teachers and sports coaches to start thinking about sporting commitments for the year ahead.

At present, child obesity is on the rise with 80 per cent of boys and 85 per cent of girls not meeting the minimum recommended daily activity levels. In fact, the problem of obesity is so great that one in three children leaving primary school are currently overweight or obese.

Experts have said that children who begin primary school obese, will inevitably become 'fat for life' if things are not done to improve the situation. Newitts takes a look below at what teachers, sports coaches and parents can do to combat what has become a 'disastrous' trend.

Make sport a priority

A key challenge for schools is making sure that sport is not over-looked by other, seemingly more important areas. Prioritising sport in schools and adding permanent sporting fixtures onto next year's school calendar will help to ensure that children get a proportion of the daily exercise they need.

Sport and academics

Many children actively enjoy participating in sporting activities, therefore regularly promoting sport in schools can have a positive effect on children's attitudes towards other areas of learning. By encouraging children to use the skills they have learnt in sport and apply it to other areas of the curriculum, you may see significant improvements in some children's academic abilities.

"At present, child obesity is on the rise with 80% of boys and 85% of girls not meeting the minimum recommended daily activity levels"

Sporting variety

Making sure you have the right sports equipment in school to cater to a variety of different sports is important. Not every child will excel at the same sports, so it's a good idea to introduce as many different sports as possible to the curriculum so that pupils have the option to try new things and perhaps find something they can excel at.

Sports equipment

Newitts.com offers a wide variety of sports equipment for schools and other sporting establishments across the UK. At present, we're experiencing a high demand for equipment such as sports kits, bibs, nets, balls and bats for a wide range of different sports to include football, cricket, rugby, volley ball, hockey and netball. Having the right range of sports equipment within schools will go a long way towards improving your school's commitment to sport in general.

Healthy eating

In order for sport to work effectively, healthy eating should be actively encouraged. Teachers need to educate children in how to stay healthy using fun and engaging activities. It is also important that schools promote a healthy eating programme to ensure children are receiving the right nutrients to enable them to flourish throughout the school day. Parents must try to compliment their child's daily intake by providing a wholesome evening meal when possible.

Encourage extra-curricular sporting activities

Teachers need to encourage extra-curricular activities whenever possible. As long as there is the right resources available, sports clubs after school can provide a further boost to children's health. Using the right sports equipment, children can be introduced to a wider variety of sports, including some that are not available within the set school curriculum.  

Maintain regular contact with parents

In order to promote sport successfully in schools, teachers and parents should remain in regular contact. Teachers will benefit from feedback from parents regarding their child's progress, and likewise, it is essential that parents are aware of their child's abilities and attitude towards what is essentially a highly important area of their development.

 

With obesity in children on the rise, is your child's school doing something a little different to help improve these statistics?

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