United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) articles supported:

All children and staff have been walking a mile a day since September. 

This has been introduced to help improve the physical activity, fitness and exercise levels within our children and to help reduce obesity. This is above and beyond the exercise taken during PE lessons, breaks and lunch times.

We are encouraging the children to lead healthy, active lifestyles, which they will then be inspired to continue with in later life.

Please be positive about this and help us to inspire and encourage the children to take part and have fun!

Why are we doing this?

1. Children today are not as fit and healthy as their parents and grandparents were at their age.
2. It is predicted that this is the first generation of children who will not live as long as their parents do – with modern medicines e.t.c. people are tending to live longer lives. The government predicts this is not so for the children of today.

Government Statistics:

• 1 in 5 children in Year 6 are classed as obese*. (20%)
• 1 in 10 children in Reception are classed as obese*. (10%)

*OBESE – Extremely fat in a way that is damaging to health. OVERWEIGHT – Above a weight considered to be normal or desirable. Obese and overweight refer to an excess of body fat. Causes – Lifestyle, Diet and lack of exercise.)

Why does it matter for our children?

• Lifestyle habits learnt in childhood tend to continue into adulthood.

• This means that children who are overweight, obese or inactive and who eat unhealthily in childhood will probably continue to be and do so into their adult lives. They will also pass these lifestyle habits to their children, who will then pass them on to their children…

• As we get older we may suffer from illnesses directly related to an unhealthy lifestyle and obesity (e.g. Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis (knees, hips and back) cancer.)

• This costs the NHS thousands of pounds every year, which in turn costs the taxpayer.

How big a problem is the obesity epidemic?

• According to estimates from Public Health England, two thirds of adults and a quarter of children between two and 10 years old are overweight or obese. Obese children are more likely to become overweight adults and to suffer premature ill health and mortality.

• By 2034, 70 per cent of adults are expected to be overweight or obese.

• This challenge will not go away!

Diet: Part of the problem is the foods we eat!

The government recommends that everybody should eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. In their last statistics collection, less than 16% of children were eating their 5 a day.

Exercise (or lack thereof)

The government recommends that children should do a minimum of 60 minutes of MODERATE TO VIGOROUS exercise EVERYDAY. Surveys show the amount of exercise being taken significantly reduces when the children leave primary school and go to high school.

The Daily Mile therefore, will help the children to meet the recommended 60 minutes of exercise every day.

The children will be completing their Daily Mile in all weathers, so please ensure your child has a coat in school every day.