Reducing the number of chips consumed would hel

School meals are to undergo a major government review in an attempt to tackle obesity in children.

Education secretary Charles Clarke is expected to announce the review on Monday.

Schools will also be encouraged to help pupils get more exercise at school and to learn how to eat a balanced diet.

Ministers will look again at the nutritional standards for school meals they introduced in 2001 to cut levels of salt, sugar and saturated fat.

Good health and effective learning go hand in hand Charles Clarke

A Department for Education and Skills (DfES) spokesman told the Independent on Sunday those guidelines had encouraged schools to offer a healthy option, but suggested they might not have gone far enough.

“What they have proved is that you can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink,” he told the newspaper.

Mr Clarke said the partnership of parents and school was “critical” in encouraging good health in children, with schools well placed to lead by example.

“Good health and effective learning go hand in hand. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind,” he said.

The government has already launched a £77m programme under which two million pupils are given a free piece of fruit or vegetable every day.

Allotments

It is also piloting schemes such as breakfast clubs, tuck shops and vending machines with healthy food and bottled water rather than chocolate and crisps, and helping parents to prepare healthy lunch boxes.

Sally Child, a nutritional therapist specialising in work with children, supported the idea of reducing choice in school dinners, to steer youngsters “in the right direction”.

She wanted to see a return to “good old British cooking that children can recognise and trust” and a move away from “continental varieties”.

Children will eat pizza and chips if they’re on offer because they’re the easy option and they’re what they’re familiar with Nutritional therapist Sally Child

Children were “a lot more aware about healthy eating than we give them credit for”, she told BBC News.

“Children will eat pizza and chips if they’re on offer because they’re the easy option and they’re what they’re familiar with, and they like to have food they can trust.

“But I’m not convinced from my research with children that it’s necessarily what they always want.”

The latest moves are part of a £5.7m Healthy Living Blueprint drawn up by the DfES and the Department of Health.

Schools will also be encouraged to teach pupils more about nutrition in science lessons.

And they will be urged to use extra-curricular activities to foster an interest in healthy food, such as school gardening clubs or visits to local allotments.

Primary schools could also be encouraged to stay open for longer to help working parents by providing their children with exercise and healthy food.

Obesity is a major problem

Obesity is a major issue around the world, and as more and more people put on excess weight it is a problem that is only likely to get worse.

In the UK it is estimated that one in five men and a quarter of women are obese, and that as many as 30,000 people die prematurely every year from obesity-related conditions.

Most doctors calculate obesity using a formula known as the Body Mass Index (BMI).

It is a measure based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.

To calculate your BMI divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres.

BODY MASS INDEX Calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared Normal: 18.5 – 24.9 Overweight: 25 – 29.9 Obese: Above 30 Calculate your BMI

A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and one of 30 or above is considered obese.

Doctors have recently recognised a new category: those with a BMI above 40 are considered morbidly obese.

People with BMIs between 19 and 22 live longest. Death rates are noticeably higher for people with indexes 25 and above.

The BMI is not infallible. For instance, it is possible for a healthy, muscular athlete with very low body fat to be classified obese using the BMI formula.

Why is obesity a problem?

Experts believe that obesity is responsible for more ill health even than smoking.

Being significantly overweight is linked to a wide range of health problems, including:

• Heart disease.
• High blood pressure.
• Arthritis.
• Diabetes.
• Indigestion.
• Gallstones.
• Some cancers (e.g. breast, prostate).
• Snoring and sleep apnoea. Stress, anxiety, and depression

What is the wider impact of obesity?

A study by the National Audit Office has estimated that obesity costs the NHS at least £500m a year – and the wider economy more than £2bn a year in lost productivity.

The problem is growing rapidly. Experts predict that if the current rate of growth continues, three-quarters of the population could suffer the ill effects of excess weight within 10 to 15 years.

Why is obesity on the increase?

It would be tempting to suggest that more people are seriously overweight than ever before because they eat too much.

Certainly, experts are worried about the high fat and sugar levels in many convenience and mass-produced foods. There is also concern about the advent of ‘super-sized’ portions, already popular in the US.

However, the reality is not as simple as that. A significant factor is that modern life is more sedentary than ever before.

A recent study showed that housewives in the 1950s actually ate more calories than their modern counterparts – but they were significantly slimmer because their daily lives involved far more physical activity.

What action do campaigners want?

The government has been accused of failing to implement “joined up thinking” in tackling obesity.

It has been criticised for focussing on cars in its transport policy, rather than advocating the healthier options of walking and cycling.

Parents have called for vending machines selling crisps and chocolate to be taken out of schools.

The government has also been urged to do more to persuade the food industry to promote healthy foods to consumers.

What is actually being done?

The government is due to publish a public health White Paper in the summer which will look at what can be done to tackle obesity.

It has already published consultation papers on diet and exercise in schools, how employers could help workers get fit and how manufacturers can reduce fat, sugar and salt in food, which will inform the White Paper.

Measures such as a ban on junk food ads to children are also being considered.

The Chief Medical Officer also published a report urging people to exercise five times a week in order to stay healthy.

How can you tackle obesity?

The best way to tackle the problem is by not getting fat in the first place. A combination of a healthy, balanced diet, and regular exercise should do the trick in most instances.

Experts recommend vigorous exercise such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling five times a week for 20-30 minutes.

For those who have been unable to avoid piling on the pounds, weight management clinics are available to provide expert help and advice.

In severe cases doctors may prescribe drug therapies, which have been shown to have some positive impact.

Among these are orlistat (brand name Xenical), which works by blocking the digestion of fat.

Another drug which has produced promising results is sibutramine (Reductil), which works by boosting the signal to stop eating so that patients feel fuller sooner and eat less.

Is surgery an option?

Yes, but it is usually only recommended for the most extreme cases, as the surgery itself can be risky, and the patients require lifelong monitoring for potential complications.

Two types of surgery are in use:

• Roux-en-Y: Staples or bands are used to make the stomach smaller and allow food to bypass part of the small intestine where many nutrients are absorbed.
• Extensive gastric bypass: A more complicated procedure, in which the lower portion of the stomach is bypassed. The small pouch that remains is connected directly to the final segment of the small intestine.

In theory both operations are reversible, but this can be difficult. Reversal is almost always accompanied by rapid regain of body weight.

An alternative is to wire up the jaw to prevent people chewing food. This can help people lose weight, but many doctors are concerned about the psychological impact. It also does little to encourage healthy eating.

“Working with Matt has made me feel 10 years younger. I can’t recommend him highly enough…Excellent ! !”

Martin Mulligan

“The children loved both you and your sessions. “

“Thanks Matt for all your hard work ….”

Pat O’ Brien – Head Teacher, English Martyrs Catholic Primary School

“he’s not like a teacher- he’s fun!”

“Working with Matt has made me feel 10 years younger. I can’t recommend him high enough…Excellent ! !”

Martin Mulligan

Year 5 pupils – English Martyrs Catholic Primary School

His flexibility and willingness to change his sessions was refreshing and certainly a bonus – if only all course/service providers did the same!

Matt’s communication was fantastic – letting me know in the run up to the beginning of the course what he intended to do and throughout the course too. After each week’s session, we spoke briefly about any changes and whether there needed to be more changes before the subsequent week’s session.

I know the children really enjoyed working with Matt and I will certainly be calling on his services in September as we look to launch a family circuit training or adult only circuit training club. Very highly recommended!

Lewis Dinsdale – English Martyrs Catholic Primary School

“Professional and approachable instructor who puts his clients requirements first”

Rachel Deary, St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Ormskirk

“I would recommend Matt’s training sessions to anyone who is interested in keeping fit and looking good! He is a really great motivator and our staff have benefited from our weekly sessions. We look better, feel better and stress levels are definitely lower-and his choice of music is sound!!!”

Eileen Smith, Deputy Headteacher, St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Ormskirk

Let’s put this simply. Cardiovascular or aerobic  training is good for two things: Strengthening your heart and getting rid of fat

There are certainly other benefits, like increased endurance and greater lung capacity, but most people are looking for those two aspects. Cardiovascular training is not only important, but essential for maintaining fitness, and must be included in your exercise program.

If you want a healthy heart and you want to get rid of that fat you are going to have to do some moving around. There is no way around it. Cars and more desk based jobs have made moving your own body around a thing of the past and this has caused a deterioration in the health of many individuals. Your body was designed to move, not to stay sedentary for long periods of time.

Getting started is easy and rewarding. There are literally hundreds of ways to exercise aerobically. You can jog or run, skip rope, shadow box, ride a bike, dance…anything that gets you to move your legs and arms in a relatively vigorous manner for a sustained period of time.

As with any exercise program, you should consult your GP about your ability to start a vigorous aerobics program. Once you get the go ahead from your doctor you should start slowly and move methodically to more challenging exercises. Your body is made to adapt fairly quickly to changes in stress and you can only make progress if you gradually increase that stress.

It is a good idea to find your “Target Heart Rate Range”(see FAQs,How to measure Heart Rate), which is the heart rate (in beats per minute) you’ll need to maintain in order to benefit from your exercise. If you don’t hit your “Target Heart Rate Range” you will likely be doing little to help improve your heart or shed that fat.

In order to shed fat you will need to exercise relatively vigorously. Interval training has proven to be a very effective means of burning fat in a short period of time. It usually works much better than long bouts of exercise that are low to moderate in intensity. This type of training involves short, intense bursts of exercise interspersed with periods of less intense exercise.

Cardiovascular exercise should be done a minimum of 3 times per week. If you are working out less than three times per week your training will likely not produce the results you want. On the other hand, if you training more than six times per week you will likely be overtraining. You need to find the balance between exercise and rest. For the best results, each cardiovascular workout should last a minimum of 30 minutes.

Don’t forget, to achieve maximum results it is best to do cardio exercise and weights based training alongside each other.

Benefits of regular CV training.

•           promotes the loss of body fat

•           Helps keep the heart and lungs healthy

•           Can help strengthen the skeletal system

•           Helps keep blood sugars regulated

•           Helps decrease clinical symptoms of anxiety, tension and depression

•           Reduces the risk of stroke and other heart diseases

•           Improves stamina

What are the benefits of personal training?

To answer this question, here are just a few examples of the benefits;

•             Decreased stress & anxiety

•             Decreased risk of coronary heart disease

•             Increased control of weight

•             Reduction of blood pressure

•             Increase in self esteem

•             Increase in tone

•             Decreased ageing

•             Increased work capacity

•             Increased cardiovascular or aerobic fitness

Why have a personal trainer?

A personal trainer can effect a dramatic change to your lifestyle and therefore to your well-being.

But given the expense and the effort that you will need to put into it, how do you know it’s right for you?

Hopefully the following information I have set out as guide on how a personal trainer can benefit you.

I can’t afford it?

And neither can a lot of people, but if you can spare a minimum of £10-15 per week that may be all you need to get yourself started. I realise that for some people this may be beyond their means but personal fitness training is a service industry that works on individuals reaching their personal health and fitness goals.

I believe that one-on-one personal training is one of the best, fastest and surest ways to make progress towards those goals.

What is the first thing I will be expected to do?

You will be asked to fill out a PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire). This is a form that asks you about your medical history. This form serves as a safety precaution both for you and Matt Holland Fitness. If you have had any serious health problems in the past, I will advise you to seek a doctor’s approval before training.

I will customise your exercise program according to your specific goals, your level of fitness, and your availability. The majority of my sessions will be performed in the comfort of your own home although with the Cardio training we will need to get out on the street or in the park. If you feel more comfortable training in another environment then please say and I can develop a program to meet these needs.

What do sessions consist of?

This all depends on what your goals and fitness levels are. They could take place indoors, or outdoors. They may involve walking, running, cycling, boxing, stability ball training, medicine ball training, aerobics, circuit or weight training.

To gain the benefits of personal training it is advisable to train a minimum of twice a week over a 12 week period although of course different individuals have different needs and may need to train for less time or more. The 12 week guideline is for the average person who wants to get fit. In this time the body will adapt to the exercise program given as well as sustaining the results achieved.  If after this period you would like to continue training then I will repeat the program at a more advanced level bringing more new exercises and advanced training into your new program.

How you choose to train depends on your lifestyle, how motivated you are, and how quickly you want results.

Improvements are guaranteed or you will receive a 100% refund.

How do I measure my Resting Heart Rate (RHR) and Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)?

The easiest way to check the pulse is to place your index and middle fingers on your carotid artery on the wrist under your thumb. This can sometimes take some finding. Count your pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. This is your Resting Heart Rate (RHR)

To figure out which heart rate zone you should be aiming for during exercise simply deduct your age from 220. Suppose your age is 40, deduct this from 220 and you get 180. This is your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR).

50% of 180 is 90 beats a minute, 60% of 180 is 108 beats a minute, 70% of 180 is 126 beats a minute and so on. The higher your exercise heart rate, the more fat you will burn. 50% – 70% of your maximum heart rate is your fat burning zone and this is the zone you should be looking at for weight loss.

I’m too busy?

I am available for training from 6am until 9pm, 6 days a week. Don’t forget, you’re the boss here, whatever your schedule I will try my best to work around it, at home or at the office. If you would like to discuss a time outside of my working hours then please let me know and I will endeavour to help you out.

There are no excuses!

How quickly will I see results?

With any type of exercise, your genetics play a role in determining the rate of change, but you can have a strong influence through correct performance of the sessions and the effort you put in. You will feel benefits after the very first session, and it is possible to see noticeable results after just 4-6 weeks.

What if I am not satisfied with the results?

I guarantee that between 4 – 6 weeks after starting with me you will start to see improvements in the way you look and feel about yourself. After 10 – 12 weeks you will be only looking forward with your fitness.  Of course it takes your commitment between sessions also to continue the good work. If you are still not completely satisfied with the results then I offer a 100% refund.

It is a fact that Western lives have become more and more sedentary over recent years. The growth of the computer industry has brought with it more and more desk based jobs. People also spend much more time driving and therefore putting more repetitive strain on the body.

In turn more and more people are suffering back problems or simply just bad posture. Exaggerated curvature of the upper back and shoulders or Kyphosis is a common ailment. One cause of this can be the shoulders slouching forward on a constant basis as well as the neck always being flexed for example a head over a computer for eight hours a day. Exaggerated lower back curvature or Lordosis is also becoming more and more common. This is when the curvature of the lower or lumbar spine exaggerates towards the front of the body. One cause of this is improper posture from hours of sitting in a car.

Remember the human body was not designed to sit for long periods and our bodies are still adapting to this form.

With specific exercises, targeting the back and abdominal region, milder symptoms of these ailments can be reversed. A stronger trunk region is not only beneficial for the office and the car it is highly beneficial in everyday “functional” activities that involve lifting, pushing, pulling and twisting. I use a lot of mat based, as well as many gym ball exercises to help strengthen the back muscles and also to stretch out the abdominal muscles so bringing the spine back into alignment with the pelvis, which is one of the major load bearing areas of the body.

My programmes can also offset age related back problems which are becoming more common.  I guarantee that after 12 weeks using my core training exercises you will notice a vast difference not only in the way your trunk region looks (remember a bad posture is half the problem with abdominal excess fat) but also in the way you approach everyday activities.

Benefits of good posture

• Keeps your bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly.
• Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of your joint surfaces that could result in arthritis.
• You can experience a decrease in the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of your spine together.
• Can prevent your spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
• Can prevent fatigue because your muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy.
• Can prevent backache and muscular pain.
• Can give you an appearance of confidence
• Build good health by allowing your inner organs room to functions properly
• Correct posture helps to improve your speech by giving freedom to your diaphragm
• Allow for proper alignment which makes enhances youthfulness both visually and physically

In this age of computers and video games there is now a huge emphasis on child obesity. It’s a very simple equation that more and more kids are not getting enough exercise and are ultimately gaining weight in the process.

I work with a number of schools in the Sefton and West Lancs areas and have developed my circuit classes with these schools (please see schools page) but I also offer one to one training in the home as well as with small groups of friends or family again in the home , back garden or park.

I also try to encourage family fitness and again this can be done in a home environment with safe and progressive fitness programmes.

My philosophy with fitness is that it is better to prevent the problem before it happens. This is even more important with your child’s health and fitness.

I will train any child from age 6 upwards so if you feel that your child will benefit from this please do not hesitate to contact me.

Many parents and kids think of organized sports when they think of fitness. Though there are many advantages to signing a child up for the softball team, practice and games once or twice a week will not be enough to reach activity goals. In addition, parents can no longer rely on physical education in the schools to provide enough physical activity for kids.

Here are some ways to keep your kids moving at home:

• Incorporate physical activity into the daily routine. From household chores to an after-dinner walk, keep your family active every day.
• Allow enough time for free play. Kids can burn more calories and have more fun when left to their own devices. Playing tag, riding bikes around the neighborhood, and building snowmen are fun and healthy.
• Keep a variety of games and sports equipment on hand. It doesn’t have to be expensive — an assortment of balls, hula-hoops, and jump ropes can keep kids busy for hours.
• Be active together. It’ll get you moving and kids love to play with their parents.
• Limit time spent in sedentary activities, such as watching TV, going online, and playing video games.

www.Kidshealth.org

THE shocking consequences of Britain’s obesity time bomb are revealed today, with record numbers of overweight children being treated in hospital.

Alarming research reveals the number of patients under 18 being treated for obesity has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past five years. the sharpest increase is among boys, where hospital stays almost doubled to nearly 400 in 2007-8.

There is also a record number of hospital admissions for life-threatening weight-related diabetes among children.

Breathing difficulties, liver and heart disease and joint problems are among the conditions suffered by overweight youngsters.

Those with diabetes are often admitted to hospital with dangerously uncontrollable glucose levels.

The figures, compiled by the Liberal Democrats from answers to parliamentary questions, have alarmed experts.

Professor David McCarthy, senior lecturer in human nutrition at London Metropolitan University, said: “It is shocking that admissions to treat obesity complications like this are rising, particularly among young people.

“The time bomb is here and the problem is going to get worse. We are less active than ever and calories from fat and sugar are cheap, so paradoxically, lower income groups are the most obese.”

Professor Philip James, chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, a London-based think-tank, said: “This is an astonishing development of the past five to 10 years. When I was a student we saw this kind of diabetes only in 60- to 70-year-olds. It’s a nightmare.

“When will we start tackling the underlying issue of cheap junk food and decades of inappropriate subsidies of fat, oils and meat at the expense of fruit and vegetables? The future health costs will become unsustainable, however efficient our health system.” Last year more than 800 under-18s were admitted to hospital because of their weight, a rise of 34 per cent in five years. The number of boys rose from 200 to nearly 400 over the past five years.

Hospital admissions for children with problems caused by weight-related diabetes also doubled. In 1997-98, 113 children were admitted, 25 of whom were under 10. Last year this had risen to 210, including 29 under-10s. The report found admissions to hospital for obesity among the rest of the population had also risen sharply, from 7,000 in 2003-04 to 14,320 in 2007-08.

In five years, the total numbers of people admitted to hospital as a direct result of obesity rose by 190 per cent, with 5,056 admissions in 2007-08.

Among the 18- to 30-year-olds two-thirds of obesity admissions were women. The highest rise in obesity-related hospital admissions was in the East Midlands, with a sevenfold increase, then the North-east and West Midlands with a fourfold rise, followed by London, where admissions have trebled.

The study predicts obesity will cost the National Health Service £45billion by 2050 and Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman who compiled the report, said: “This could bankrupt the NHS.”

An increasing number of private companies, such as the Carnegie Weight Loss camp in West Yorkshire, have begun to tackle the problem.

Alfie Robinson, aged nine, from Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, joined the camp to overcome a weight problem that left him gasping for breath. He has gone from 6st 8lb to 6st 2lb in four weeks.

Alfie, whose diet was based on pizza, chips, and sausages with sweets and crisps between meals, said: “I got £10 a week pocket money but most of it went on sweets. It was difficult to do any sport because I couldn’t breathe properly.”

Research shows a third of children are overweight or obese by the time they start secondary school. Up to 2.8million children in Britain are classified as obese, with 140,000 severely obese.

By Lucy Johnston

www.express.co.uk/myexpress

This is where the fun comes into any workplace.  These fitness sessions can be before or after work or even at lunchtime. They are aimed at office & corporate participants but in reality they are open to any groups of workers, friends or teams that wish to try it out.

These sessions are great fun, highly motivational and great for boosting energy levels for the rest of the day. They are for any age and ability and can be mixed gender or otherwise.

So there are no excuses !

Benefits include:

• Reduced staff absenteeism, combating the effects of stress, illness etc
• Higher staff morale, happier, healthier employees are loyal employees
• Lower employee turnover rate
• Reduced health care costs
• Increased productivity