Kids pedometer scheme bids to tackle obesity

Thousands of children in schools across England have been issued with pedometers, in a bid to tackle the problem of childhood obesity.

Nearly 9,000 pupils, aged between nine and 14, in schools in areas such as Bradford, Oldham, Suffolk, Wolverhampton and Ipswich, have received the pedometers, which measure the number of steps taken by the wearer.

The Schools on the Move scheme is part of the government’s plans to tackle childhood obesity and increase physical activity.

Launching the scheme, Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said: “Childhood obesity is a serious issue, which the government is determined to tackle on a number of fronts, including increasing levels of physical activity. Pedometers are effective in motivating people to become more active. Schools on the Move takes this further by incorporating the information children gain from pedometers into lessons like maths, science, art and geography, making the distance they walk and the number of steps they take, relevant across the school curriculum, not just in PE and school sports.

“Every little bit of extra physical activity we incorporate into our lives can make a huge difference in terms of health improvement. By raising awareness of the importance of physical activity amongst teachers and pupils and by encouraging children to become more active, we hope to make big strides in reducing childhood obesity.”

The Schools on the Move scheme is aimed at contributing towards the government’s target to halt, by 2010, the year on year increase in obesity among children under 11.

(KMcA/SP)