An Olympic legacy programme designed to get children in east London active and healthy was launched at a school in Stratford on Thursday.
Members of the NHS Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is now responsible for helping residents get healthier, attended the launch of the Happy Hearts Primary School Health Programme at Colegrave Primary School in Henniker Road, Stratford.
The scheme, funded by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), aims to teach children about good nutrition and exercise to reduce the level of obesity in the borough where 24 per cent of local Year Six pupils are classed as obese compared to the London average of 21.9 per cent.
Dr Zuhair Zarifa, chairman of NHS Newham CCG, said: “Newham’s young people are our future.
“Supporting them to learn about healthier food and exercise from a young age is vital.
“These are habits we hope to build on for a lifetime.”
The Happy Hearts programme is being run by Barry McGuigan’s Boxing Academy in four schools in Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Hackney with three schools in Waltham Forest.
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