DR. DAWN HARPER

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

DR. DAWN HARPER | CHILDHOOD OBESITY

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DR. DAWN HARPER | CHILDHOOD OBESITY 2/2

At the risk of sounding “fattist”, I have to say that the majority of patients I see in my surgery are overweight and many of them clinically obese. Sadly, I am not just talking about the adults. In the UK, at least one in five children is overweight and one in ten is obese.

We are starting to see our youngsters develop medical problems associated with obesity like type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when fat and muscle cells lose their sensitivity to insulin (the hormone which controls blood sugar levels) and it is directly related to diet and weight. The

increasing incidence of this type of the disease is a real health concern as with it comes the increased risk of heart attacks and strokes at an ever younger age.

Weight gain is quite simply a case of too much in and not enough out. We must act now to reverse this trend and the answer is in changing behaviour and lifestyle. Only one generation ago, our children tended to walk or cycle to school and after school they would be kicking a ball around or playing ‘tag’. Today, they are more likely to be in front of a computer or a playstation - we are breeding a generation of couch potatoes. On top of this, family diets have changed with the increasing consumption of fast foods and fizzy drinks.

I’m afraid “puppy fat” has a nasty habit of staying around. I think children should be slimming down by the time they start junior school (around eight years of age) and children who are overweight by the age of 11 really worry me-they are far more far more likely to remain an unhealthy weight throughout adulthood. In fact, about 3/4 of obese children will remain obese into adult life so it is vital that we address this problem in childhood

Patterns of eating are set in childhood - it really is worth putting some effort into getting this right. I am not keen on diets for children as growing children need a balanced diet. The key is to get them actually wanting to eat a healthy diet and be more active. Try limiting the number of sweetened drinks, swop biscuits and crisps for portions of fruit. Get out there and run around with them – it might do you some good into the bargain!

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

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