Schools ‘have no silver bullet to fight obesity’

SCHOOLS cannot provide a ‘silver bullet’ to tackle childhood obesity, the head of Ofsted has warned.

Amanda Spielman, the education watchdog’s chief inspector, said teachers were ‘already stretched’ and should not be distracted from their primary role as educators.

While schools can help encourage healthy lifestyles, they must not be expected to address all aspects of the issue, she said.

Ofsted research at 60 primary schools found ‘no pattern’ to suggest schoollevel interventions alone, such as having a kitchen on site or a member of staff leading on obesity, were linked with higher or lower levels of obesity.

There were ‘too many factors beyond the school gate’ for them to have a ‘direct and measurable’ impact.

Miss Spielman said schools had an ‘important role’ to play against childhood obesity, by offering high-quality PE lessons and emphasising healthy lifestyles.

She added: ‘We must also recognise that schools cannot provide a silver bullet for all societal ills. Families, government, industry, and other parts of the public sector all have a role to play.’