Health reporter Richard Catton speaks to a York woman who believes the answer to child obesity is to educate children from as young as two on the importance of a healthy heart.

OBESITY is a growing problem in the UK. While the NHS struggles through financially lean times, the Department of Health estimates that seriously overweight patients are costing the health service an estimated £5.1 billion a year.

The problem was recognized 16 months ago by the Government when it launched its Call To Action on obesity.

At the time, the then Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, told us that we must all “halt and then reverse the tide of obesity in this country”. He said: “Government has a role to play, but it is clear that we cannot do this alone. We need to work in a broad partnership with local authorities, businesses, charities, health professionals and individuals.”

One of those to heed the call was 37-year-old Sarah Stower, a mother-of-one from Rawcliffe.

She believes in educating children in the importance of exercise and healthy eating as the building blocks to a healthy heart.

She is now taking her message to pre-schools in the area through the Stretch-n-Grow programme, which says inactivity through video games, too much television and sitting in form of a computer for hours on end is storing up trouble for our children’s health.

She said she decided to start the classes in what was a “complete change of direction” after the birth of her daughter Heidi.

“It was probably having a baby that spurred me on and I had always wanted to work with children.

“The classes are structured so they are very age-appropriate and we do it through a half-hour routine. For example, we do a story so the children don’t actually know they are exercising and we might talk about ‘what makes a heart happy’.

“What we are trying to do is instil healthy eating from an early stage. They learn exercise is fun and good for you.”

We spoke to Sarah just after one of her many weekly sessions, this time at Little Acorns Nursery on Clifton Green.

She said: “The classes which take place in early year’s settings across York are focused on educating two-to-five-year-olds about what their heart is, why it is the most important muscle, the benefits of exercising it and making healthy choices when eating and drinking.

“They will be making their hearts beat faster and learning about their pulse so they can feel it in action.

She said: “It’s a sad fact that heart and circulatory diseases are the biggest causes of death in the UK. Much can be done to prevent these diseases; in the form of being active, eating a healthy diet and making healthy lifestyle choices.

“Teaching our youngsters about healthy eating and making sure that they get enough exercise can have a lifelong impact and reduce their risk of coronary heart disease.”

• For more information, phone Sarah Stower at Stretch-n-Grow York on 07780 680 620, or email york@stretch-n-grow.co.uk or visit stretch-n-grow.co.uk