Child obesity is target of app offering treats for exercise

A NEW app that rewards exercise and healthy living with ‘no-homework’ passes could hold the answer to Ireland’s childhood-obesity problem, a Dáil committee has heard.

Kevin Creary and Liam McCorry of Healthy Kidz, a company based in Northern Ireland, appeared before the Dáil committee on education and skills yesterday to discuss their ideas for tackling the problem.

They developed the app, which encourages children to eat healthily and participate in exercise by offering rewards, such as evenings off homework and trips to the local cinema or swimming pool.

The app has already has 6,000 users and has been rolled out in 60 schools in Northern Ireland.

Under the programme, professional coaches are sent to schools across the country to take groups of children for 40 minutes each week, with little or no training required from teachers.

Mr Creary said each child was rewarded to take part and were graded at the beginning and end of each 24-week programme.

Children input data from their activity sessions into the €4-a-month app and what fruit they eat. Every time a session or fruit is logged, they receive in-app points and trophies.

More than a third of Irish children are now overweight, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation.