Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity has clearly become a serious personal and public health problem for the world population.

The same is true in the UK, where childhood obesity has risen to almost epidemic proportions. It is estimated that one in five is now obese, and these children are putting themselves at risk of diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and strokes, and are well on the way to an early grave.

The rapid rate of increase in obesity suggests that behavioural and environmental influences rather than genetics play a fundamental role in its development. Childhood overweight and obesity are associated with a variety of serious adverse consequences, such as risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Furthermore research shows that 85% of obese children tend to be obese adults (Johannsen DL et al 2006).

These conditions not only cause poor health, reduced life expectancy and quality of life but also result in a tremendous economic burden. Obese children miss 20% more school days so perform poorly, are less likely to attain good jobs and also less likely to marry. Poor eating and exercise patterns are often established during childhood. Fortunately, a healthy home environment can promote healthy habits and alter unhealthy habits.

A study by Oliveira (2007) found that parent’s obesity history and socio-economic class play a significant role in the development of childhood overweight/obesity irrespective of ethnicity. It is known that the life style adopted by parents is generally transferred to their children, thus perpetuating the overweight phenotype (Stein & Colidtz, 2004). Therefore whole family education and lifestyle change is key in reducing childhood obesity.

In the White paper ‘Choosing Health’ (2004), the UK government stated its objective ‘to halt, by 2010, the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 by providing information, guidance and practical support for parents. Various health campaigns have been launched and initiatives implemented such as ‘change4life’, most of which focus on improving nutrition knowledge and awareness of healthy eating guidelines.

Nutrition knowledge has been associated with socio-economic variables including level of education. Therefore, current interventions may be more effective in some families, where parents are well educated and information may be better understood and applied, but less effective in less well-educated groups.

The government is starting to address this issue by introducing new policies such as ‘Every Child Matters’ (DOH 2004) where education about nutrition and exercise is implemented through schools and by changing laws on food advertising and how food is labelled in the supermarkets. Improved food labelling systems will help parents clearly understand and see at a glance foods that contain high sugar, salt and fats so that informed choices can be made.

Between 1995 and 2000 the proportion of overweight boys in England aged 2 to 19 years increased by two per cent and the proportion of overweight girls in the same age range increased by three per cent. In the same time period, the proportion of obese boys and girls increased by one per cent.

In 2000, 27 per cent of girls aged 2 to 19 years were overweight compared with 20 per cent of boys. In the same year, seven per cent of girls were obese compared with five per cent of boys.

In a typical week in 1997:
Four in five young persons aged four to 18 years consumed white bread, chips, savoury snacks, biscuits, chocolate confectionery and boiled, mashed and jacket potatoes.

The most commonly consumed fruits among 4 to 18 year-olds were apples and pears (53 per cent of boys ; 57 per cent of girls) followed by bananas (38 per cent of boys and girls, respectively). Children and adolescents from higher socio-economic households were more likely to have eaten raw and salad vegetables, apples, pears and bananas than those from lower socio-economic households.

Parents should also be supportive of their children’s physical activity interests and enhance opportunities for them to play outside and engage in both recreational activities as well as incorporating an active lifestyle into daily routines e.g. walking or biking to the shops everyday instead of using the car for big weekly shops, or walking to school instead of driving.

Children’s physical activity patterns have changed dramatically in recent years. Whereas energetic free play outdoors used to be the typical activity in childhood, such opportunities are now rare due to the availability of TV, video and computer games and largely because of parental fears about child safety. Sadly this has a restrictive effect on a child development and health.

Families and communities should work together with the government to embrace these changes and start to implement healthy lifestyle changes. Parents need to take responsibility and ownership for their own health and the health of their children.

Vita Clinics is committed to supporting the fight against obesity. Many of our patients tell us that once they have lost their excess weight, whether through our medical weight management treatments or as a result of weight loss surgery such as gastric bypass or gastric band, this has a positive impact on the rest of the family. Shopping and eating habits inevitably change, and where there are children in the house, they become more conscious of healthy eating and the importance of activity. This has to be a good thing!

Vita Clinics is not registered to treat children who are obese, but we are committed to the concept.

References
Choosing Health (2004) Dept of Health London
Every Child Matters (2004) Dept of Health London
Johannsen DL, Specker BL (2006)Influence of parents eating behaviours and child feeding practices on childrens weight status Obesity (silver spring) 14(3)431-9
Oliveira AM, Oliveira AC, Almeida MS, L Adan & Oliveira N (2007) Influences of the family nucleus on obesity in children from northeastern Brazil: a cross sectional study BMC Public health 7:235
Stein CJ & Colidtz GA (2004) The epidemic of obesity J Clin Endocrinol Metab 8:2522-2525

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=718
www.wellspringcamp.co.uk