Health supremo urges annual fitness tests for schoolchildren

Sir Liam Donaldson wants pupils to undergo checks to help increase fitness levels to reduce the risk of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, keep weight in check and improve mental health.

Parents would be sent letters detailing their child's fitness

with the aim of getting families involved in improving health.

The proposals to encourage youngsters to develop healthy habits for the rest of their lives were among a series proposed by Sir Liam in his final report before he steps down after more than a decade.

Figures show children in England are failing to exercise enough.

Among two to 15-year-olds, 68 per cent of boys and 76 per cent of girls do not meet the recommended minimum levels of exercise of an hour a day.

Sir Liam said: "Inactivity pervades the country. It affects more people in England than the combined total of those who smoke, misuse alcohol or are obese.

"Being physically active is crucial to good health. If a medication existed that had a similar effect on preventing disease, it would be hailed as a miracle cure.

"The introduction of a standardised school-based fitness assessment in England may have multiple benefits that extend beyond benefits for the individual."

In his report, Sir Liam also called on grandparents to become "health mentors" to their grandchildren, involving them in more physical activity.

He said grandparents were taking on bigger roles in youngsters' lives but less than five per cent played sport with them.

He also said thousands of lives could be saved each year if more was done to tackle excess deaths due to cold temperatures in winter when mortality rates typically rise by 18 per cent.

Each drop in temperature by 1C led to 8,000 extra deaths in particular among the elderly and especially women and those with weakened immunity.

He called for a national cold weather plan to be developed, tailored NHS support for those most at risk, and even for supermarkets and local shops to offer free home deliveries to vulnerable people.