Fall in childhood obesity as pupils embrace active travel

Between 2016 and 2022, the number of students walking and cycling to and from school rose from 29% to 40%.

At the same time, obesity in Year 5 children fell from 30% to almost 25%, which was more than 10% lower than the figure for the same age group in England.

Environment & Infrastructure president Lindsay de Sausmarez believed the two trends must be linked.

‘I am no data scientist or public health expert, but it seems likely that active travel interventions may have played a role in this,’ she said.

‘It’s said that if physical activity could be bottled it would be dispensed as a miracle cure.

‘The fact that we are starting to see some positive results here in Guernsey, which appear to buck the wider trend in much of the rest of the world, is a real achievement.’

Deputy de Sausmarez said that primary schools such as St Martin’s and organisations such as the Health Improvement Commission deserved particular credit.

‘It’s one of those metaphorical tankers to turn, but we know that children with healthier lifestyles are more likely to keep those habits and grow into healthier adults, which is good news for the whole community, not least because it helps to reduce pressure on our health service, now and for decades to come.’

Alex Costen, active travel officer at the Health Improvement Commission, said it was a huge achievement for St Martin’s Primary School to have just one in 20 children arriving at school and leaving in a car and more than nine in 10 using active travel methods – believed to be the best figures of any regular school in the British Isles.

‘It is especially pleasing that the school’s children were at the heart of driving forward the initiative,’ she said.

‘People tend to forget how dangerous the situation used to be where children were picked up in the playground and had to weave between the cars to get out.

‘The Health Improvement Commission and the school have been able to rejuvenate the playground, which is now freshly painted for its proper role – to let children play.’

With much of the success at St Martin’s being put down to the closure of the road outside the school, a second school street in the island was trialled at La Houguette Primary School, with a section of Rue de L’Arquet closed on school days at drop-off and pick-up times.

The trend for active travel appears to have caught on with parents and commuters as well. Data from the Better Journeys Project showed a 48.3% change in active travel choices for journeys into St Peter Port between April 2022 to June 2024.

‘Travelling under our own steam is a great way for more of us to be more active more often,’ said Deputy de Sausmarez.

‘It’s encouraging to see the number of people in the island making journeys by foot or bike sky rocket over the last couple of years.’