Here is an uncomfortable fact. 63% of men and 53% of women are now overweight or obese. That is half the nation. Worrying isn’t it? Even more worrying than that, is the fact that the fastest growing groups of obese people are children and women in their thirties. Children no longer eat healthily or keep active. The 'play station generation' are caught up in lazy parenting, junk food diets, lack of PE in schools and the plain acceptance that it’s 'normal' to have their belly hanging over their trousers and stretch marks like a pregnant mother of twins. Anyone reading this may think I am being a bit harsh, but the harsh reality is that we are setting up an entire generation of kids with serious health problems in the future. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease and infertility to name but a few conditions. And yet the solutions are really quite simple. Eat good food, enjoy food, just don’t eat too much of the wrong stuff. Limit fast food. Move more, get out with your kids, take them swimming or for a simple walk in the park. If your kids don’t enjoy the usual sports (football, rugby, ballet, swimming), find something that they do enjoy. It might be a martial art (great for confidence), cricket (very English!), mountain biking or skateboarding or even something unusual like fencing or trampolining. Whatever they choose, go with it.

I once trained a young girl who weighed more than my husband (14 stone). She was barely in high school. Despite every attempt to improve her lifestyle, I only saw her for 2 hours per week. Desperately, I tried to work with the parents, looking at diet, fitness testing, getting them on board in every way. Yet because they were paying me to get her fit, I think they just relinquished all responsibility for her health. Since becoming the mother of two myself, I know that I would do everything and anything in my power to keep my kids happy and healthy.

Finally, children DO NOT need sports/energy drinks in their packed lunches or after school unless they are actually going to do some real activity. Otherwise, we are just loading them up with calories. However, children do need to be kept well hydrated and eat little and often.

So, what will you do to ensure that the next generation live long healthy lives?