There were rumbles of confusion to say the least, back in 2009 when the Government enlisted the help of the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judges to help combat obesity. Our weight is creeping up here in the UK and there are massive concerns about both adult and childhood obesity. The NHS is incurring costs it simply cannot afford in treating those with illnesses directly related to their being overweight. So could reality TV judges really be the answer?
Many of us were simply not sure and were a little wary of seeing the Government invest both time and tax payer’s money into this campaign. But the campaign has actually, thus far, proven successful in raising the profile of dance, which could then help get more people moving.
There is no denying that dance is an amazing way to lose weight! A more rigorous dance form, such as Hip Hop for example, can burn off 600 calories per hour. That’s huge! Because of the calorie burning potential of dance, the UK held a pilot scheme in schools last year, incorporating ballroom dance into PE lessons. Those involved in the pilot reported a huge success, with teachers even saying that the disciplined nature of ballroom made children behave better. They also commented that the children with lower confidence were becoming more confident. Many children also expressed an interest in taking on more dance lessons outside of school. As a result, the policy went national later on in 2009.
But the NHS is keen to point out that it is not just children who can benefit. Dance has a major advantage over many other forms of exercise in the range of styles it can offer. Dance is incredibly diverse, with styles ranging from Bollywood to Belly Dancing, from Street to Salsa! This massive diversity means that there really is a style of dance out there to suit everyone! But is it fixing the problem?
Well, we really will not know for some time yet. The number of people getting involved in dance has increased, though many attribute this to reality TV rather than a Government campaign. But dance is good exercise. That’s without doubt. So the NHS is perhaps right to be confident that getting us all moving could reduce the weight problem.
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