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'Alarming' obesity data prompts school PE rules

Richard Youle
Local Democracy Reporting Service
PA A blue football sits on a school playground. Primary school pupils can be seen running around in the background wearing winter coats. A two-storey school building is behind them. PA
Fewer than half of the 73 primary schools in Carmarthenshire surveyed offered the recommended two hours of PE per week

All primary schools in Carmarthenshire must offer two hours of physical education (PE) per week, following a hard-hitting report about childhood obesity.

It noted 31.4% of children aged four to five were overweight or obese in the local authority in 2021-22, higher than any other Welsh county. The Wales average was 27%.

The report, by a council working group, also found fewer than half of 73 primary schools surveyed in the area complied with the recommended two hours of PE per week, with 23 offering 60 minutes or less.

Councillor Gareth John, chairman of the task and finish group, described the data as "alarming" and said obesity was one of the "greatest public health challenges".

He said 87% of pre-school children in Carmarthenshire were below average or poor at things like jumping, running, throwing, and catching, based on 2023 findings.

"As we all know," he said, "unhealthy lifestyle choices and behaviour significantly increase the possibility of developing chronic diseases, and [are] a major cause of preventable disease and early death."

He acknowledged factors affecting health were numerous and complex but added: "Everyone agrees that prevention is better than cure, and early and positive interventions around diet, movement, and social networks play a key part."

According to the report, only 34.8% of primary school pupils in Carmarthenshire attended swimming classes, compared to 79.5% a decade ago.

It also drew on evidence showing a link between areas of deprivation and higher levels of childhood obesity.

The seven recommendations drawn up by the group, who heard from public health experts and also reviewed studies and policies on childhood obesity, included all primary schools providing two hours of high-quality PE per week.

They also called for every child to be able to swim 25m by the time they leave primary school and to reduce or remove the costs of school swimming.

PA A girl wearing a red and white chequered school dress using a skipping rope jumps in the air. Children behind her are playing hopskotch, only their torsos can be seen. A mural showing a greengrocers can be seen behind them. PA
A 2023 study found 87% of pre-school children in Carmarthenshire were below average or poor at jumping, running, throwing and catching

Other recommendations included integrating with the council's existing plans for food strategy and using a health research complex in Llanelli, which is under construction, to address inequalities.

The task and finish group chairman said it had been "mightily impressed" with the number of initiatives in Carmarthenshire aimed at tackling obesity and that the group was mindful of financial pressures facing the council.

The council cabinet accepted six of the seven recommendations, with the swimming proposals to be considered further once a separate report about school transport costs - including those for swimming classes - had been completed.

Jane Tremlett, cabinet member for health and social services, said the report, which also had 37 recommended "sub-actions", was excellent.

She described the proportion of obese or overweight children in the county as "a huge concern".

According to Public Health Wales, the proportion of children aged four and five who are overweight or obese in the country fell from 27% in 2021-22 to 25.5% in 2023-24, with Carmarthenshire down from 31.4% to 30.2% – one place behind Anglesey.

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