Parents, not teachers, can beat child obesity | Letter

Steve Wilkinson says young pupils’ poor fitness is a cultural challenge that can only be resolved by parents’ choicesOnce again, primary schools are expected to “fix” the obesity problem affecting young children (Majority of children will be overweight or obese in nine areas of England by 2035, study shows, 23 June). As a primary teacher and PE specialist, I know that this is largely ineffective.While half an hour or even 45 minutes of vigorous exercise a day sounds like the answer, one has only to observe three things that completely undermine this: how the children travel, what is in their lunch box and what they do when they get home. Continue reading...