In Manchester, a quarter of 10 and 11-year-olds are dangerously overweight. Parents face being banned from the school run as part of a controversial attempt to combat childhood obesity. Health chiefs hope introducing residents-only parking areas near schools will encourage pupils to walk or cycle instead. The plans were criticised as ‘absolute nonsense’ by parents’ groups, who claim the Government is at fault for the rise in overweight youngsters. They point to physical exercise classes being cut from the national curriculum and school playing fields being sold off.

Margaret Morrissey, founder of parentsoutloud.com and former chairman of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: ‘Children are not obese because they are driven to school and walking a mile to school every day is not going to make any real difference.’ We have prescribed static curriculum children sit for 6-8 hours there is very little provision for exercise PE/games once a week more if they are very lucky. School playing field have been sold by councils for developments playgrounds reduce running and skipping banned any kind of boisterous exercise is a health and safety issue. So okay if we can walk children to school great but how do I walk to two schools (not close together due to lack of school places, walk back home and get a car or bus to work and be there by 9 , will employers not mind if we do not arrive until 10) I think not. We should stop labeling children OBESE lets discuss over weight but we are being very unkind to many small children who have no way of standing up for themselves.

The proposals have been drawn up by the Greater Manchester Health Commission and could be rolled out nationwide. One in ten four and five-year-olds and 18 per cent of ten and 11-year-olds in Greater Manchester are classified as being dangerously overweight or obese. Will Blandamer, director of the Greater Manchester Public Health Network, said: ‘It’s about exploring as many opportunities as possible because we cannot continue to have obesity figures at the levels they are.’ The Greater Manchester Health Commission, a quango of health, education and council bosses, plans to lobby the region’s ten local authorities over a parking ban, which could affect around 1,100 schools. Read more: Daily Mail Article