Tackling Obesity in England - National Audit Office

TACKLING OBESITY IN ENGLAND20 We recommend in particular that:nnnnnnthe Department of Health should reinforce existing joint working over thecommissioning of relevant surveys and research by establishing a crossdepartmentaladvisory group to co-ordinate all research on obesity andmeasures to prevent it;the Department of Health should lead the development of a new cross-Government strategy to promote the health benefits of physical activity. Thisshould include work to develop and support alternative approaches forgroups where there are specific barriers to physical activity, such as thoseimposed by poverty, cultural beliefs or fears about personal safety;the Department of Health and the Department of the Environment,Transport and the Regions should continue to encourage other potentialpartners, in particular local authorities and health authorities, to adopt localtargets for cycling and walking which provide clear incentives to supporthealthy modes of travel. They should also put in place arrangements tomonitor centrally progress towards achieving these targets;based on the work of the School Transport Advisory Group, the Departmentof the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Department of Healthand the Department for Education and Employment should work with localagencies to help them develop targets to increase the number of schooljourneys undertaken by bicycle, on foot or on public transport;the Department of Health and the Department for Culture, Media and Sportshould consider the adoption of joint performance targets for increasing thenumber of people participating in sport and physically active leisureactivities. This should build on the strategic target set by the Department forCulture, Media and Sport to raise significantly, year on year, the averagetime spent on sport and physical activity by those aged 5 to 16;the Department for Education and Employment should continue toencourage all schools to achieve the stated aspiration of at least two hoursphysical activity a week for all pupils. This aspiration should remain a coreaspect of the expectations set out in the National Healthy School Standard,and the Department for Education and Employment and the Department ofHealth should continue to develop ways in which the Standard can be usedto reinforce and strengthen physical activity in schools;executive summary5