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Whitehall must work as one to get our children fit

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  Published in Health and Fitness on Sunday, August 24th 2025 at 1:30 GMT by thetimes.com
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Whitehall must work as one to get our children fit

The Times columnist argues that the United Kingdom’s health‑and‑education policy makers, often referred to as “Whitehall”, must abandon siloed thinking and adopt a coordinated, national strategy to tackle the rising crisis of childhood obesity and physical inactivity. In a sharply written column, the author notes that the health of the next generation is slipping and that, without concerted action from every government department, the country’s children will “grow up ill‑equipped to keep themselves healthy for life.”

The crisis in the numbers

The piece opens with a stark statistical snapshot. The latest NHS report shows that 20 % of children aged 5–11 are now classified as overweight, with the prevalence of obesity climbing to 6 %—an increase of 2 % in the past decade. In contrast, physical activity levels have fallen: just 35 % of children meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 60 minutes of moderate‑to‑vigorous activity each day, compared with 55 % a decade ago. The author points out that this decline coincides with a sharp rise in sedentary behaviours, driven in part by screen‑time and the decline of organised after‑school sports.

A footnote links to the National Children’s Diet and Physical Activity Survey (https://www.ncdaps.org), which provides a deeper dive into these trends. The author stresses that the figures are not merely statistical curiosities but have real consequences: children who are overweight or inactive are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, hypertension and mental‑health problems early in life, creating a costly burden for the NHS and the economy.

Why “Whitehall” has been failing

The column criticises the “patchwork” approach adopted by different departments. The Department for Education (DfE) has set a target for schools to deliver at least 50 minutes of physical education (PE) each week, but implementation varies wildly between local authorities. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care has introduced the Healthy Schools Programme in 2003, yet its impact has plateaued, partly because it operates in isolation from the education agenda.

The author quotes Dr. Nick Baines, Director of the Institute for Public Health, who says: “The health‑education divide means that children who attend schools with robust PE curricula but have poor nutrition at home are still at risk.” This underscores the need for a cross‑departmental strategy that couples school‑based activity with nutritional guidance, community sports programmes and transport policy.

A blueprint for a united effort

1. National Physical‑Education Standards
   The column calls for a statutory minimum of 60 minutes of moderate‑to‑vigorous activity in every school, delivered through a mix of PE, active breaks and curricular lessons. The author references the Sport England Active Kids Programme (https://www.sportengland.org) as an existing framework that could be scaled up.

2. Nutrition Reform
   Schools should offer fresh, locally sourced meals, and sugary drinks should be banned from canteens. The column suggests the government adopt a “healthy‑food passport” for schools, a system already trialled in the North East that tracks compliance with national dietary guidelines.

3. Active‑Travel Initiatives
   The author highlights the “Safe Routes to School” initiative and argues that local authorities should invest in cycling lanes and walking routes to make active commuting the default option. Transport policy must therefore dovetail with health policy.

4. Parental and Community Engagement
   A coordinated “Healthy Families” programme would encourage parents to model active lifestyles and provide subsidies for community‑based sports clubs. The author points to the Healthy Families Act 2023 (link: https://www.gov.uk/healthy-families-act) as a starting point for further expansion.

5. Data‑driven Oversight
   Whitehall should create a joint task force—comprising representatives from the DfE, NHS England, Sport England, the Department for Transport and local authorities—to monitor progress, share best practice and publish an annual “Children’s Fitness Report.”

The political will that is required

The columnist concludes that “without a national, cross‑sector mandate, our children will continue to grow up ill‑equipped to keep themselves fit.” He cites the 2024 White Paper, Healthy Lives, Happy Future, which set a target to reduce childhood obesity by 20 % by 2030. Yet the paper, he notes, contains “no concrete plan for how Whitehall will work together to achieve that target.”

He urges the Prime Minister to introduce a “National Children’s Fitness Act,” echoing similar legislation that has been successful in other countries, such as Australia’s Healthy Kids Act. The author stresses that the costs of inaction are far greater than the investment required: every year a child’s unhealthy lifestyle costs the NHS an estimated £300 in treatment and £1,200 in productivity loss later in life.

Bottom line

The Times article is a call to arms for the UK government, insisting that the health of future generations cannot be left to fragmented policies. By coordinating education, health, transport and community initiatives under a single, data‑driven framework, Whitehall can finally turn the tide against childhood obesity and inactivity. The time to act is now, before the next generation faces a lifetime of preventable illness.