Great Britain is set to tackle the dilemma of obese children and teenage obesity. Polly Curtis, Education Editor, London’s newspaper The Guardian, reports on a new study. The forecast is grim. In 25 years 50 percent of the population of Great Britain could be obese.

Ed Balls, sitting secretary of state for families, urges schools to do more to convince teenage girls to take part in sport including alternative activities such as frisbee and yoga sessions in an effort to halt the growing obesity crisis.

“Also,” says Balls, “It was up to parents to do more to tackle their children’s obesity and academic underachievement, and the government cannot improve children’s lives without their [parents] help.”

Secretary Balls indicates that he has, “an instinctive reaction against anything that sounds like the nanny state and government ministers telling parents how to do their jobs.”

I couldn’t agree more! There are things schools can do to try to make sure children, young people and parents have better choices, more information and diet coaching. Studies from around the world show a decrease in teenage obesity with small dietary changes and public health information for obese children and adults.