We Must Break Down Barriers That Stop Girls Enjoying Sport

Source: The National (Scotland)
Date: 27-Aug-2016

A COLLECTIVE sigh of relief was audible throughout the country last week by parents, guardians and most likely grandparents as well, as most children returned to school after at least six weeks of holiday.

School and university is a place where you have a captive audience and those who are charged with teaching should be in a position to deliver lessons that will improve children’s lives.

These lessons, should, of course, include physical education, but I worry that perhaps we are missing a trick here, particularly where young girls are concerned. Engaging young girls and women to participate in sport has traditionally been difficult. Many varied issues come to the forefront that impacts on their willingness to take PE.


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Fat chance as Herts unveils schemes to tackle child obesity

Source: Hemel Hempstead Gazette
Date: 22-Aug-2016

One in every three ten children are obese across Hertfordshire. And while that is still below the national average, county council health chiefs have unveiled a raft of measures to tackle the problem.

In early years, Herts County Council is building on existing national Healthy Start scheme, offering all Hertfordshire families free healthy vitamins.


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Nicola Blackwood: Our new obesity strategy isn’t nanny state, it’s a sensible plan to make children healthier

Source: Conservative Home (blog)
Date: 18-Aug-2016

Team GB’s incredible athletes have inspired us all – at home in London 2012, and now thousands of miles away in Rio. This Government wants to keep that inspiration alive for the adults of tomorrow – so today we published a plan to tackle unacceptably high levels of obesity in the younger generation. Nearly a third of children aged two to 15 are overweight or obese, and those with obesity are twice as likely to die prematurely. There are huge economic costs, too. We spend more each year on the treatment of obesity and diabetes than we do on the police, fire service and judicial system combined: an estimated £5.1 billion on overweight and obesity-related ill-health in 2014/15. We know children from low-income backgrounds are disproportionately impacted, with significant implications for their life chances.


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Childhood Obesity Statement

Source: Public – Norfolk County Council
Date: 18-Aug-2016

The launch of the Government’s Obesity Strategy has been partly welcomed by Norfolk County Council’s Director of Public Health, Dr Louise Smith. Dr Smith said: ‘I generally welcome the publication of this long awaited strategy. In particular, the commitment to reduce sugar by 20% in foods is essential in the battle to reformulate food and drink that is marketed specifically to children.

‘The proposals and measures it contains are all good steps in the right direction but there are missed opportunities. There are no measures to address advertising to children and I am concerned that proposals for food reformulation are largely voluntary.’


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The Daily Mile is mentioned in the UK Government’s Childhood Obesity Strategy

The Daily Mile was formally recommended on page 8 of the Government’s Childhood Obesity Strategy, as an initiative to help combat children inactivity and obesity in Primary Schools.
Public Health Minister Nicola Blackwood commented: “Initiatives like this will make a huge difference to children’s health and fitness and we hope our new measures on school sport will help to create future Team GB Olympians.”

Five ways to keep kids active

Source: BBC Good Food
Date: 17-Aug-2016

Kids that are getting a good amount of exercise will feel the benefits in everything from bone and muscle strength to concentration skills and mood. It’s good to incorporate a mixture of moderate and vigorous activity into each week. Examples of moderate activity include walking, cycling and riding a scooter, while vigorous activity includes playing chase, energetic dancing, jumping, gymnastics and football.


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Healthy lifestyle initiatives in Hertfordshire

Source: Hertfordshire Life
Date: 16-Aug-2016

A strategy for a healthier, happier Hertfordshire from toddlers to pensioners has been launched.

The Health and Wellbeing Strategy created by the county and district councils, NHS and Healthwatch focuses on four groups: 0-5 years, 6-25s, working-age adults and 65s and over.

Health and Wellbeing Board chairman Colette Wyatt-Lowe said while general health in the county was good, some communities are falling behind.

‘Every year, far too many people suffer avoidable ill health or die earlier than they should. These inequalities need to be tackled to make life better for everyone.


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Companies urged to take up ‘sweatworking’ to get Britain on move

Source: The Telegraph
Date: 15-Aug-2016

“Sweatworking” should replace networking – with companies incentivised to conduct meetings while walking or working out, one of the UK’s leading health bodies has said.

Health experts urged businesses to take radical action after a study found that sedentary office workers who do no exercise have a 60 per cent higher risk of premature death.

UK Active, a not-for-profit agency, urged companies to follow the lead of businesses which have pushed employees into taking daily exercise.

One health company has told all visitors to its London office that they have to commit to taking part in work-out at their exercise studio if they are coming in for a meeting.


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Moving encouragement from ABMU

Source: The Llantwit Major Today
Date: 03-Aug-2016

More than 120 public-sector workers, as well as third sector staff and some representing the private sector said they would “Promise to Move You More”, at a recent seminar.

The event, held at Swansea University’s Bay campus and hosted by ABM Physical Activity Alliance, discussed a new strategy to encourage people who live in the region to build regular exercise into their everyday lives.

An example of how simple this can be was provided by John Wyllie, of the Daily Mile Foundation. He told the audience about a regular 15-minute walk for pupils – dubbed the ‘Daily Mile’ – which had been introduced into Scottish schools.


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