All primary schools in Carmarthenshire will have to offer two hours of physical education per week after council chiefs approved a hard-hitting report about childhood obesity levels.

The report, which also urged action to get more youngsters swimming – including potentially reducing or ending transport costs to pools – made seven recommendations and was written by a council task and finish group. The group heard from public health experts and also reviewed studies and policies on childhood obesity.

The key finding was that 31.4% of 4–5 year-olds were were overweight or obese in Carmarthenshire – a higher number than any other Welsh county – based on 2021-22 data. The Wales average was 27%.

Introducing the report at a cabinet meeting on June 30, Cllr Gareth John, chairman of the task and finish group, described the data as “alarming” and said obesity was one the “greatest public health challenges of our time”.

Cllr John said: “As we all know, healthy lifestyle choices and behaviour significantly increase the possibility of preventable disease and early death.”

He said the determinants affecting health were numerous and complex, but added: “However, everyone agrees that prevention is better than cure, and early and positive interventions around diet, movement and social networks play a key part.”

The report found that fewer than half of 73 primary schools surveyed in Carmarthenshire complied with the recommended two hours of minimum time for physical education per week, with 23 offering 60 minutes or less.

And only 34.8% of primary pupils in the Plaid-Independent-run authority attended swimming classes compared to 79.5% a decade ago.

Cllr John said a healthy and balanced diet was critical, and that significant research showed the most effective preventable measure against ill health was being active. He said 87% of pre-school children in Carmarthenshire were below average or poor at things like jumping, running, throwing and catching, based on 2023 findings.

“One fact that sticks in my mind – it’s four times harder to change behaviour in Year 4 (8-9 year-olds) than at age four,” said Cllr John.

Cllr John said the task and finish group had been “mightily impressed” with the number of initiatives in Carmarthenshire aimed at tackling obesity and sedentary lifestyles and felt it was imperative they continued.

Some of the recommendations put forward by the group were that all primary schools to provide two hours of high-quality physical education per week; and to ensure every child is able to swim 25m by the time they leave primary school and reduce/remove the cost of school swimming to schools.

Cabinet accepted six of the seven recommendations – the one about swimming will need to be considered further once a separate report about school transport costs, including transport costs for swimming classes, has been completed.

Cllr Jane Tremlett, cabinet member for health and social services, said the task and finish group’s report, which also had 37 recommended “sub-actions”, was excellent. The proportion of obese and overweight children in the county was, she added, “a huge concern”.