Public Health England (PHE) has kicked off a two-day Health X Hackathon event in Manchester to seek innovative solutions to help children eat more healthily and be more active.

The Hackathon will explore the role technology can play in fostering healthier lifestyles for youngsters and comes after feedback from PHE initiatives such as the One You health quiz showed huge public demand for digital tools that help them make healthier lifestyle choices.

Currently, more than a third of 10 and 11 year-olds are overweight and just 21 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls meet the national recommended level of 60 minutes of physical activity each day, according to PHE. The event follows recent policy calls from ukactive for the government and technology companies to incentivise and reward developers who are creating technology which can get children moving.

“We want to empower people to make informed and healthy choices,” said Jane Ellison, minister for Public Health Jane Ellison.

“Technology now has a central role in most of our lives and we want to use the benefits it can offer to help children be healthier and happier. I am looking forward to the ideas that emerge from the PHE Health X Hackathon.”