As Devi Sridhar rightly highlights (The secret to why exercise is so good for mental health? ‘Hope molecules’, 4 May), physical activity is crucial for maintaining good health and preventing illness. This is particularly pertinent for young people today, who are faced with a crisis in physical and mental health.
The evidence is clear that active children do better and active schools achieve more. Sadly, children exist in a system that is rigged against them – from education policy to local planning, from public health policy to the marketing of products detrimental to their health. Unhappy, unhealthy children don’t learn, which prevents them from fulfilling their potential in life.
