Another Government Strategy Launched…..

I have been reading the physical activity action plan which has been launched this week, with the aim to achieve an active, healthy and inclusive Wales.

We support the call for increased participation in physical activity in Wales and in particular it becoming part of a normal everyday routine.

I hope that the strategy will be successful, but the responsibility ultimately lies with the individual. We all need to be prepared to make small changes to our daily routine which can make a real difference.

Wales is a beautiful country, and what better way to appreciate our surroundings than swap the car journey to work, for walking or cycling. And I’m not just talking about adults. Children, where possible, should be encouraged to walk or cycle to school. The number of children travelling to school by car has doubled over the last 20 years - no wonder childhood obesity is a growing epidemic. We need to teach children from a young age about the advantages of a healthy lifestyle, and introducing exercise into a daily regime will help to protect them from chronic conditions later on in life.

The inequalities inherent within Wales have a profound influence on the health of children. I would like to see more investment in safe areas for children to play and exercise, as well as further investment for sport in schools. Deprivation limits access to safe play areas and safe physical activities.

In deprived areas many parents are too scared to let their children go outside because the roads are so busy, and in many communities there are the additional dangers of unsafe environments where play areas are littered with discarded syringes and broken glass. Until we address these fundamental barriers – nothing will change.

As doctors we have a vital role to play as well - in prescribing exercise for those who are overweight or obese.

Physical inactivity has so many different causes that it is impossible to be tackled by guidelines alone. I’ll be very keen to read the data that will be produced through the Welsh Health Survey and Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study to see if the strategy has actually worked.

What are your thoughts on the strategy?

Childhood obesity – prevention is better than cure

I fully support this article by Sustrans Cymru.

To maintain good health and keep obesity at bay and other serious illnesses in later life, it is recommended that children have at least 60 minutes of moderate exercise every day, such as brisk walking, running, or cycling. But, research suggests that currently only around half of seven to 11 year olds manage to do this. So it's essential to get kids moving. And the journey to and from school is the perfect place to start. We know that, particularly in deprived areas, many parents are scared to let their children go outside because the roads are so busy. That is why we are in favour of 20mph zones in urban areas, and specifically around schools in Wales.

The number of children travelling to school by car has doubled over the last 20 years. Getting youngsters into the habit of cycling to school has obvious environmental benefits, and of course, helps with the fight against childhood obesity too. That’s why the Bike It project being trialled in three areas in Wales is such a good idea. It helps to establish cycling to school as part of a routine, not a one-off occurrence.

There is no precise figure of how much obesity costs the NHS, but every year the health service spends at least £2 billion on treating ill health caused by poor diet. Estimates indicate that, if current trends continue, at least one fifth of boys and one third of girls will be obese by 2020. Therefore the cost to the health service is likely to increase unless measures are put in place to halt this growing problem.

We need now, more than ever, to be focussing on preventing childhood obesity. We know that parents want to do the best for their children and getting them out of the car more is certainly one way of doing so.

Clear link between increased rates of diabetes and obesity

A new report into increased rates of diabetes illustrates a clear link between type 2diabetes and obesity. The rate at which the condition has gone up is really quite staggering, 74% over a six year period.

As well as the link between more people being over-weight and more people being diagnosed with the condition, another reason for the leap in the number of cases can be put down to the fact that GPs are more alert to the symptoms, hence detecting more cases.

If you do have diabetes AND are overweight, it should really be taken as a warning to start leading more of a healthy lifestyle, combining exercise with sensible eating. The Welsh Assembly Government is trying to help us with this, through the work of Health Challenge Wales, which is running such initiatives as free swimming (Children aged 16 and under can use public swimming pools at certain times during holiday periods, free of charge) community food co-ops (fresh fruit and vegetables direct from a local supplier, so you pay wholesale prices and support your local community), and Lets Walk Cymru (There are a number of opportunities for you to join groups who participate in regular walks).

Wales' Chief Medical Officer's latest annual report, released late last year also highlighted some very positive plus points, not least the fact that people here are living longer and that deaths from heart disease and strokes are continuing to fall. So there is some indication of change for the better in the health of people in Wales, yet we’ve still some way to go, as the rise in diabetes cases shows.

One way to make further in-roads into tackling obesity, particularly amongst children, would be for the WAG, to work with Local Authorities in Wales and organisations like BMA Cymru and Sustrans, to put together a major joint strategy, identifying all major walk to school routes and roll-out a programme of 20mph zones across all parts of Wales.

We favour 20mph speed limits in urban areas, and particularly around schools, as a way of encouraging more of us to walk and cycle. Hopefully, this kind of initiative, if implemented, would help the vast majority of us to get more fit and active as part of our daily routine.

Welsh children taught how to “mend” their eating habits

The Welsh Assembly Government has come up with what seems like Wales’ answer to America-style fat boot camps.

Under the Mend (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do It!) Scheme, children aged 7-13, considered to be overweight can access diet and exercise courses. Official statistics seem to suggest this is a necessary step to take, with youngsters here having some of the highest body mass indexes in the world.

With any scheme like this it is important the whole family gets involved and supports it, as it’s often the parents who decide their child’s diet and eating habits. There wouldn’t be much point the child learning about healthy eating and exercise, if a plate of burger and chips is then placed in front of them. Mums and dads also need to be able to recognise when their child is at the stage of being classed as overweight instead of just putting it down to ”puppy fat”. With all the family being on board with an initiative like this, the results will hopefully last for longer than the duration of the 10 week course.