Feature: Pop star Ricky launches 10-minute "shake-up" drive to tackle childhood obesity

British pop star Ricky Wilson of the band Kaiser Chiefs was recruited by health officials on Thursday to help tackle a growing obesity and fitness problem in British children.

A damning report released Thursday revealed that 80 percent of five to 15-year-olds don't meet a target of completing 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

Moreover, the new study shows physically active children are happier and have more confidence.

Health and fitness experts at Public Health England have devised a winning formula for this age group: a series of 10-minute exercise shake-ups as an alternative to an hour-long stint.

Wilson, a fitness fan who is also a judge on the popular television series The Voice, joined children at London's Marion Richardson Primary School to help launch Thursday's Change4Life Campaign by joining in a 10-minute "shake-up" game.

Wilson commented: "Since taking up a much more active lifestyle, the benefits I've gained have been endless, it has helped with everything from singing to performing and even just getting out of bed or going to the shops."

The campaign coincides with the publication of a review by the British Heart Foundation following a study from Oxford and Loughborough universities identifying the direct benefits physical activity has on children in terms of physical, social and emotional development.

In England, 79 percent of boys and 84 percent of girls aged five to 15 do not do the recommended 60 minutes of exercise each day.

Experts say the worrying gap between boys and girls' activity levels can be seen from as early as seven years old, and is often attributed to confidence issues and insecurities in body image for young girls.

Public Health England said Thursday: "Over a third of British children are overweight, yet 79 percent of parents with an overweight child do not recognize that they are, and of those that do, 41 percent do not realize it is a health risk."

Professor Kevin Fenton, national director of health and well-being at Public Health England, said: "Levels of childhood obesity are unacceptably high."

"This latest review reinforces the essential health and well-being benefits of being physically active. Breaking up the 60 minutes of physical activity children need each day into 10 minute bursts will be more appealing and manageable for children and parents alike," said Fenton.

Government Public Health Minister, Jane Ellison, said: "Exercise is really important for children, and it's vital we encourage them to form healthy habits to last throughout their life. The 10-minute shake up program is great for introducing children to manageable, bite-size chunks of activity, and, best of all, it's fun."

The exercises are made up of games using animation characters from Disney's Frozen, Toy Story, Monsters and Big Hero 6 with the aim of inspiring children to do as many 10 minute shake ups as they can each day. Endit