A leading UCFB academic played his part in the recent publication of a new report outlining the steps that can be taken to reverse the decline in the physical health of children and young people in the UK.
Dr Gerald Griggs, Dean of UCFB’s Etihad Campus, is listed as a contributor on the Children’s Alliance report, ‘The Physical Health of Children and Young People’, which was published on December 15th.
The report is a comprehensive study of children’s physical health during the Covid-19 pandemic. As well as Gerald, it features the work of 36 nationally-renowned specialists in children’s health, and has been published during the festive season when children are traditionally bombarded with food and drink adverts.
It is the second of four reports that will set out a practical plan for action by Government to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people. The first report on ‘The Early Years’ has already been published; reports on Mental Health and Family and Community are still to come.
Proposals in the report include:
- Preconception health strategy to be fully integrated into primary healthcare (including practitioner initial and ongoing training) and raised in routine discussion during visits to a range of clinicians such as GPs, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians and sexual health services; preconception health to be a statutory national school curriculum requirement.
- A ‘family first’ as opposed to ‘children’s diet’ approach to be advocated by health and childcare professionals.
- Re-positioning strategy to promote and encourage lifelong physical activity so that it is not presented solely/predominantly through a medical or ‘deficit’ lens.
- Review and re-set the benefits system, enabling swift and appropriate responses to food insecurity.
- Place race alongside poverty in discussions about inequality and disparity.
Commenting on the report and his part in it, Gerald said: “Good physical health should be an entitlement for all children and young people but the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront a number of challenges that need to be addressed. This report seeks to shed light on the current landscape and make recommendations to create a healthy physical environment and promote positive healthy behaviours. I am delighted to have been able to contribute to it.”
