Explore Play Wales
The Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes has published a position paper calling on the Welsh Government to consider the wider societal factors in tackling childhood obesity – such as protecting children’s playtime during the school day.
The paper, titled Obesity/healthy weight, highlights that according to recent data, more than a quarter of children aged four or five in Wales are measured as being overweight or obese, with one in ten being obese. It suggests several areas should be improved to reduce this, such as better education on nutrition, reducing food insecurity and increasing physical activity.
The paper notes that children missing opportunities to enjoy play or breaktimes during the school day could be a contributing factor to insufficient physical activity. It draws on research by the Commissioner that revealed 46% of the children surveyed missed playtimes.
The Commissioner is urging the Welsh Government to emphasise the importance of the wider societal determinants of obesity and to take holistic, asset-based approach to improving children’s health.