An editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) has highlighted a lack of UK policy towards increasing children’s exercise levels, with one of its co-authors suggesting such failings amount to the government’s own definition of “child neglect”.

The column has suggested a supposed lack of action towards increasing levels of exercise among younger people, despite access to growing evidence that shows both immediate and long-term benefits of regular exercise during our younger years.

The piece also argues that both current and former governments have failed to implement a successful national policy, with leadership and strategy “totally absent”.

To tackle the issues now facing children’s activity levels, the editorial has called for more cooperation between governments and educational bodies to help decide on a national policy capable of catering for children from all social and economic backgrounds.

“There has been a persistent failure from this government and former governments to meet children's basic physical and psychological needs,” said co-author Dr Richard Weiler, who is also a consultant in sport and exercise medicine at University College London, as well as a club doctor at West Ham United.

Speaking as part of the BBC Radio's Today programme, Weiler also suggested that the lack of policy "meets the government's own definition of child neglect", while stating that funds allocated to encourage children’s activity were "pitiful".

The comments have brought forward a debate surrounding the role that both the state and children’s parents play in encouraging activity levels, with Weiler arguing that schools have an important role to play as "children don't choose who their parents are".

However, in response, the BBC reports that former Children's Minister Tim Loughton has labelled the comments as alarmist.

"Finger-wagging and accusing the government of mass-neglect of children deeply undermines the seriousness of this problem,” the BBC reports him as saying.

"I agree we need to do much more for kids and sport, making it a part of their growing up, something that they want to do because it's fun and enjoyable as well as being good for them - but child neglect is a persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and psychological needs, resulting in serious impairment of health and that is a world of difference from kids not doing enough sport.

"Is Dr Weiler suggesting we should be taking millions more children into the care of the state? Because that's not the solution."

More information on the BJSM and the editorial mentioned is available here, while the discussion on BBC Radio's Today programme can be found here.