Life Based Learning ™
Delivering subject content through nine life themes
Category: Physical Health
A collective approach to obesity
The UK government’s long-awaited food strategy, announced this week, has been widely criticised, including by its own food adviser. It comes in the same week that the charity Diabetes UK announced that the number of children being treated at paediatric diabetes units has risen… Continue Reading “A collective approach to obesity”
Limiting screen time
Researchers say that there was an increase in screen time during the Covid pandemic affecting all age groups, and most noticeably in children aged six to ten. Screen time is the amount of time spent using a device with a screen such as a… Continue Reading “Limiting screen time”
Building on the success of the Lionesses
Hope. Inspiration. Legacy. Game-changing. All words much in use over the last few days but particularly since Sunday evening when the Lionesses – the England women’s football team – won the Euro 2022 tournament by beating Germany in front of a capacity crowd at… Continue Reading “Building on the success of the Lionesses”
Commonwealth Games and legacy
The Commonwealth Games ended on Monday, just a week or so after the women’s football Euro 2022 tournament. Both events served up a feast of high-quality sporting entertainment and were outstanding adverts for popular participation, inclusion and diversity. But the Commonwealth Games, in particular,… Continue Reading “Commonwealth Games and legacy”
The importance of legacy
It’s that word legacy again. Last Friday the Local Government Association called for money raised from the soft drinks industry levy to be available for councils to spend on tackling childhood obesity and encouraging greater physical activity in their local areas to “ensure (a)… Continue Reading “The importance of legacy”
A welcome social prescribing initiative
The Department for Transport has announced that walking and cycling are to be offered on prescription in a nationwide trial. ‘Social prescriptions’ will be offered by GPs as part of a new trial to improve mental and physical health. Evidence of success will include fewer GP… Continue Reading “A welcome social prescribing initiative”
Teen Substance Use
Evidence from an NHS Digital survey indicates that smoking and drug use among teenagers is declining and that the amount of alcohol use is broadly unchanged since 2018. Vaping, on the other hand, is on the increase. Grabbing the headlines was the statistic that… Continue Reading “Teen Substance Use”
Unimaginative nanny-state rhetoric
‘Nanny state’ is a politically loaded term, used tendentiously to make an ideological point, namely that it is not the job of government to interfere (another loaded term, of course, as is ‘red tape’) in our everyday lives and decision-making. Expect to hear the… Continue Reading “Unimaginative nanny-state rhetoric”
Healthy lifestyle choices
They were nowhere near the front pages but two health-related stories in the Guardian this week – from different parts of the world – gave this reader particular pause for thought. The first warned that China is facing a health emergency in the coming… Continue Reading “Healthy lifestyle choices”
Putting children’s health needs first
The comment that a week is a long time in politics is commonly attributed to former prime minister Harold Wilson. Yet even the worst crises of the 60s and 70s moved at a glacial pace compared to the events of the last few days… Continue Reading “Putting children’s health needs first”