When helping healthy really
Obesity is arguably the biggest challenge facing the Welsh NHS, with fewer children taking part in daily exercise than ever before. Here, MARK SMITH looks at how the Welsh Government’s Games4Life scheme is helping one family battle the bulge...
CHILDREN live in a sweet-laden, treat-laden world where the lure of computer games and mobile phones is often more powerful than the temptations of a football or a frisbee.
So it will come as no surprise that 26% of reception-age children in Wales are now classified as overweight or obese – and only a third are taking the recommended amount of daily physical activity.
It is an issue foremost in the minds of many medical professionals who are desperate to tackle the problem head-on.
And the Welsh Government is playing its part through a campaign called Change4Life Wales, which aims to change people’s habits and attitudes towards food, exercise and fitness.
The latest instalment of Change4LifeWales, called Games4Life Wales, is encouraging children aged between five and 11 years old to step away from their screens and reconnect with fun games which will get them moving each day.
Thousands of families throughout Wales have signed up to the campaign over the past seven weeks, including the Farmer family from Penarth.
Mum Katie says her two young children, nine-year-old Annie May and 11-year-old Alfie, have embraced Games4Life Wales and, while they are naturally active anyway, it has had an impact on their lives and their way of thinking.
Mrs Farmer said: “Both Annie May and Alfie pack a lot into their week and they like to be on the move.
“Annie is in the netball team at Victoria Primary and Alfie goes to free running sessions. We all get out and about with the dog, Eddie, too.
“My husband and I are outdoorsy people and we spend as much time at the beach as we can.
“But the thing I like about this campaign is the fact that it helps the children exercise without realising it – it’s fitness by stealth.
“As far as the children are con- cerned they are just having fun, playing dodgeball and penalty shootouts and mega frisbee.
“It can be hard for all of us to make a commitment to exercise every single day but campaigns like this one help to make exercise a normal part of daily life.”
Mrs Farmer said both of her young children have better sleep patterns because of their daily exercise routines.
She added: “And since the games are simple they are taking it upon themselves to play them without any prompting from me, which is great.”
Obesity in Wales is more common in boys than girls and it is estimated to cost the NHS in Wales more than £73m.
Wales’ Chief Medical Officer Ruth Hussey said a lack of fitness in childhood was inextricably linked to health issues now and in later life and it has been one of her concerns during her tenure. She said: “Making sure children are a healthy weight when they are young means they are more likely to grow up to live healthy lives.
“The reverse is also true. Obese children can have health problems when they are young, but they are also more likely to be obese in adulthood. That can lead to some serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.”
The Child Measurement Programme for Wales 2013/14 report showed the scale of the problem in Wales, particularly in the more deprived areas of the country.
A total of 28.5% of children living in the most deprived areas of Wales were overweight or obese compared to 22.2% in the least deprived areas.
Dr Hussey adds: “While there is no simple solution to this nationwide issue, there are positive