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As director of a campaigning charity aiming to promote the importance
of children's play, I have quoted this article many times, including to
ministers and officials leading the government's strategy to put the
brakes on the obesity epidemic. Yet still, five years on, the government
continues to miss the point that to tackle sedentary lifestyles we need to
address the trend in young children away from active - which needs to
include outdoor - play.
Millions are being poured into campaigns for improved diets and
school sport (irrelevant to pre school children, where the problem begins)
and yet the richest resource to combat this growing problem - the natural
energy of young children and their predisposition to being physically
active - is overlooked. The 'Health Challenge England' document launched
recently by the Department for Health does not once mention children's
play. No wonder that the targets are not being reached.
We invite the medical profession to join our call for a national play
strategy as an essential component of its overall obesity strategy. This
would include a much greater investment in quality outdoor play
environments and a much more serious commitment to tackling the traffic
danger that is largely responsible for keeping children in front of the
television.
Adrian Voce
Play England
7th December 2006
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
06 December 2006
Adrian P Voce
Children's Charity Director,
Play England, National Children's Bureau, 8 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7QE
Obesity Prevention Strategies are Still Missing the Point
As director of a campaigning charity aiming to promote the importance
of children's play, I have quoted this article many times, including to
ministers and officials leading the government's strategy to put the
brakes on the obesity epidemic. Yet still, five years on, the government
continues to miss the point that to tackle sedentary lifestyles we need to
address the trend in young children away from active - which needs to
include outdoor - play.
Millions are being poured into campaigns for improved diets and
school sport (irrelevant to pre school children, where the problem begins)
and yet the richest resource to combat this growing problem - the natural
energy of young children and their predisposition to being physically
active - is overlooked. The 'Health Challenge England' document launched
recently by the Department for Health does not once mention children's
play. No wonder that the targets are not being reached.
We invite the medical profession to join our call for a national play
strategy as an essential component of its overall obesity strategy. This
would include a much greater investment in quality outdoor play
environments and a much more serious commitment to tackling the traffic
danger that is largely responsible for keeping children in front of the
television.
Adrian Voce
Play England
7th December 2006
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests