Knowsley Schools Limit Drink Choices to Milk and Water in Childhood Obesity Initiative

School children’s drink options will be restricted to water or milk as part of a campaign aimed at tackling obesity. This initiative involves 30 primary schools across Knowsley, participating in a healthy schools program managed by the council and the school meals service, which will introduce various changes to help children maintain good health. This development follows recent NHS data indicating that the Merseyside borough recorded the highest proportion of obese and overweight 10-11 year olds in England. Colin Richardson, head teacher at Westvale Primary School in Kirkby, which has joined the initiative, reported that the children were “responding well” to the adjustments. Mr. Richardson stated that students had adapted to consuming only milk and water as beverages, emphasizing that these modifications are among several being implemented. He informed BBC Radio Merseyside: “Children have got to have opportunities to develop their health and wellbeing and then we can educate them so it’s thinking about exercise, thinking about the amount of sugar they consume.” The school additionally encourages pupils to walk or cycle to school and features a smoothie maker that operates solely via pedal power. Healthier meal options have also been introduced, incorporating a wider range of fruits and fewer desserts. Mr. Richardson commented: “We notice that after lunch time they do become a little bit more tired and so with the afternoon lessons we do really need to start off with a little bit of a spring in our step, so we’ll do things like the daily mile, little bits of exercise on the way in, just to get them going, energise them.” The data revealed that over 30% of 10-11-year-olds were classified as obese, with an additional 14.9% of children identified as overweight, meaning that almost half (45.6%) of them are either obese or overweight. Knowsley also exhibits one of the highest rates of obese and overweight reception-aged children nationwide. For the 2023/24 academic year, more than 13% of four-and-five-year-olds were defined as obese, and a further 15.3% were identified as overweight. NHS health guidance indicates that obesity can have a seriously detrimental impact on physical and mental health and may even shorten a person’s life expectancy. Dr. Sarah McNulty, Knowsley’s Director of Public Health, commented that the program, which she hopes to expand to secondary schools, focuses on providing children with healthier alternatives. She affirmed: “We want to make sure what they get to eat in school is as nutritious as possible.” “If you are overweight or obese as a child you’re much more likely to continue to be overweight or obese into adulthood and then you start to accumulate the higher risk of many long term conditions. “If you start off in life at a healthier weight you are much more likely to retain a healthier weight throughout your adulthood”. Additional reporting was contributed by Elliot Jessett, Local Democracy Reporting Service. The best of BBC Radio Merseyside is accessible on Sounds, and BBC Merseyside can be followed on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can also be sent to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Details on its approach to external linking are available.