Let children be active

This is, said Boris Johnson, a public health emergency that the Government has a moral obligation to tackle. The Prime Minister was talking in the Commons about the coronavirus but he and others have made similar observations in the past about obesity. A few months ago, Mr Johnson published an official policy document entitled “Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives”. This involved efforts to improve diet but also to encourage exercise. Children in the past consumed as many calories as those of today but were far more active.

How is this strategy consistent with a prohibition on children’s and grassroots sport during the lockdown that begins on Thursday? Schools are going to remain open and pupils will, presumably, be allowed to attend PE classes. But they will be prevented from playing football, rugby, hockey or any team sports at the weekend.

The risk of infection outdoors is very small, as most scientists will attest. The median age of coronavirus victims is 82.4 years, which is higher than average life expectancy. Many people dying from Covid will have lived long and largely healthy lives. But that will not be true of children who are already two stone overweight before they are 12. That is where the real long-term health crisis can be found. Stopping children’s sport is a knee-jerk response that the Government needs to reconsider.

The Daily Telegraph is today launching a campaign, Keep Kids Active in Lockdown. It is backed by politicians, clinicians and scientists, all urging the Government to spare grassroots sport another blanket ban. As they draw up the detailed legislation for the lockdown restrictions, the health benefits of sport must be taken into account.