Does your child have a weight problem?

According to the World Health Organization website:

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. The prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five, is estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 35 million of these are living in developing countries.

Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. Overweight and obesity, as well as their related diseases, are largely preventable. Prevention of childhood obesity therefore needs high priority.

However, as worrying as this is... it gets worse.

Researchers at Imperial College London found that three quarters of parents with fat children are in denial about their child's weight, claiming that 77% of parents with overweight children believed that
their child's weight was "normal".  This finding suggests that obesity has been normalized among parents and our perception of what being overweight or obese has changed.  Another worrying factor is that only 41% of parents who recognized that their child was overweight, accepted their child's health might be at risk in the future.  Lots of the parents made excuses such as:

• It's the genes
• He/she has a big build
• It's puppy fat
• He/she is no bigger than other children

And this denial isn't just in Britain, last week research from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA, published findings which suggested that half of parents with an overweight child are in denial about their child's size.  The research showed that the parents believed that their child was slimmer than they actually were.  Others with an obese child thought their son or daughter was normal or slightly heavy, while one in seven parents whose child was a healthy weight worried that they were too skinny.  

Many children who are overweight have parents who are overweight but this is not a general rule.  What we teach our children at home stays with them for life.  If children are allowed unhealthy snacks such as a packet of crisps/ chips every day that amounts to 5 liters of cooking oil ingested every YEAR - and it isn't even good quality cooking oil!!!  Add on top of that the fast food habit that many homes have.  There are many families who don't cook healthy meals from scratch and rely on pizza, hamburgers, Chinese and Indian takeaways, etc.  Here the main excuse from the parents is that they don't have the time to cook.

Jaime Oliver has crusaded for years to try and improve children's eating habits and to change those of their families'.  

Another study released this week revealed that children who live near a lot of fast food outlets are more likely to be overweight or obese.  Researchers at the University of East Anglia and the Centre for Diet and Activity Research looked at weight data from over 1million children and compared it with the availability of unhealthy food outlets including fish and chip shops, burger bars, pizza places and sweet shops.

They found that older children were more at risk of having a weight problem when living in close proximity to a high density of unhealthy eating outlets.  They found that secondary school students were more likely to have a weight problem from fast food habits because they have more spending power and can therefore choose the food they want.

Children with a weight issue are at risk of childhood diabetes, low self-esteem, orthopaedic and cardiovascular problems and roughly 70% of obese children and teenagers also go on to have weight problems in their adult life.

So, it is up to the parents to teach their children about healthy eating and the importance of exercise.  Even our children are becoming more and more sedentary which only adds to the problem.  The best thing parents can do is to teach by example.

Social Nutrition:  You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com