Bid to use sports high to combat obesity

HULL'S new status as a premier sporting city will be used to tackle worrying levels of poor health and fitness across the city.

Although the city now has three top-flight professional teams in Hull City, Hull FC and Hull KR, health rates among the worst in the country.

Now, Hull City council and public health officials have joined forces to draw up Hull's first sports and active recreation strategy.

They say there has never been a better time to build on Hull's current sporting glory by encouraging thousands of people to follow the example of their football and rugby heroes to get fitter.

Latest figures suggest up to 30,000 people in Hull need to become more physically active if the city is to close the gap on the healthiest places in Yorkshire.

The statistics also show 61.4 per cent of people in Hull are overweight or obese, while binge drinking among is over twice the national average for men and women.

Key aims of the strategy over the next five years are to improve the health and fitness of children and adults. These include:

Forging closer partnerships with Hull City, Hull FC and Hull KR through their community programmes.

Increasing participation rates in sport and recreation by one per cent year on year.

Supporting recently-announced Government plans to double the number of sports lessons in schools from two-and-a-half hours a week to five.

Providing new sports facilities across Hull, including playing fields and sports halls, linked to the £400m Building Schools For The Future project.

Councillor Kalvin Neal, cabinet member for quality of life, said: “The three professional clubs already do a lot in the community and I believe they can act as role models. Kids look up to the players and to see what they have achieved through sport and being healthy has to be

positive.

“Taking up any sport is great, but it's just as important for people to start taking a little gentle exercise if they don't do anything at the moment.”

As part of the drive to tackle poor health, walking and cycling will be promoted, physical exercise programmes for GP referrals will be expanded and more people will be encouraged to get involved in volunteering, coaching and administration at grassroots level.