In September last year, the second part of the Health Survey for England was published. It covered, among other things, the current state of adult health and obesity rates for adults and children.
Based on statistics from 2022, the report highlighted that 41 per cent of adults had at least one long-standing illness or condition. Meanwhile, 64 per cent of adults were overweight or living with obesity.
For children aged two to 15, more than a quarter were classed as overweight or living with obesity, with deprived children more likely to be obese – and the gap is widening.
The survey was followed by the news that more than half of all adults and a third of children, teenagers and young adults around the world are predicted to be overweight or obese by 2050.
Brain gains
So why is it relevant to the FE sector? I believe the health of the nation and the health of our education sector are inextricably linked.
If we can provide the right knowledge and skills to our fitness professionals, they can in turn support the nation to become more active, to understand their bodies, and to make healthier choices for themselves and their children.
But we know there’s work to be done. Active IQ’s Skills Gap report last year highlighted that over a third (35 per cent) of fitness professionals struggle to tailor fitness programmes for individuals with physical disabilities, and even more (41 per cent) find it challenging to adapt for those with chronic illnesses.
With well over a third of adults in England having at least one long-standing illness or condition, this seems like an obvious issue that, if left unchecked, will only exacerbate the health challenges we face as a country.
We also know that 42 per cent of gyms and leisure centres say they are struggling to find people to fill fitness instructor roles. Despite this, our Skills Gap report showed that 43 per cent of fitness professionals believe there are limited or no opportunities to develop and progress their careers.
Lifting the bar
The timing of NHS England’s report was quickly followed in December by the latest outcomes of the post-16 reforms.
Through these decisions we’re beginning to see what the future of skills provision looks like for key sectors such as education and early years, health and social care, and of course active leisure and wellbeing.
It’s important that we continue to keep up with developments within the fitness space to combat some of the health issues we face. At the same time, we must simplify the choices and support learners to find direct pathways into employment, to tackle some of the challenges employers are finding in hiring key roles.
As a specialist in this area, we were delighted to work with IfATE, Ofqual and the Department for Education to gain approval for 11 new Active IQ qualifications across Level 2 and Level 3. But it’s not just about volume. It’s about ensuring fitness professionals have the right knowledge and skills to support those they work with.
This includes qualifications covering physical activity for children and adolescents, as well as antenatal and postnatal fitness and how to work with ageing clients. If we’re to get people of all ages and abilities moving more and feeling confident about physical activity, it’s the current and future fitness professionals that hold the key.
Tracking progress
The fitness sector doesn’t hold all the answers to the health problems we see across the country, but I’m convinced it has a bigger role to play.
With challenges in the NHS well publicised, how can we support more people to take ownership of their health and begin to reduce the volume being placed on our primary and secondary care services?
Better awareness of the issues and therefore the opportunities for developing skills and knowledge is a starting point. Improved qualifications and access to outstanding education providers is how we can truly level up.
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