Factors of Childhood Obesity

Adverts:

Adverts targeting children affect childhood obesity levels as by using famous characters the children find the content of the advert more enticing and they feel they need to buy the product. There is an ongoing debate between advertisers and doctors about whether these adverts should be banned but so far there is no progress. 

Poor mental health:

Many teenagers become affected by obesity as it is proven that mental health can decrease during puberty. The pressure to fit in is very hard on teenagers and it can cause children to over-eat and can lead to childhood obesity.

Not being taught the consequences:

There are few opportunities for children to learn about the problem of childhood obesity therefore maybe if children knew and understood the consequences of having too many sugary drinks, it could stop them from over-eating or eating the wrong things and could reduce childhood obesity.

Computer and Video Games:

Increased amount of children playing video games at an even younger age can cause less physical activity and can lead to childhood obesity. 

 
Leading specialist Dr Nadim Haboubi, chairman of National Obesity Forum Wales, bemoans young children not being involved in activities.
"Children have computer games, iPads and they sit there for hours," he told BBC Wales.
"Unlike perhaps when we were children, there's also a genuine fear it's unsafe for young children to be outside playing, unsupervised.
"They eat too much junk food and now in the school holidays you can see them in burger restaurants from the morning onwards - the places are packed.
"I drive from home to work and there are seven 24-hour burger restaurants but no leisure centres open until late."
"Sweets used to be something you had at Christmas or special occasions, now they're given out as rewards.
"You've got to detect problems at an early age, so it's down to the parents. Obesity can keeping getting worse like a cancer unless you manage it.
"But for those in deprived areas, healthy food is not very affordable either for a lot of people."
Obesity levels are significantly higher than average in Merthyr, Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf, and significantly lower in Monmouthshire, Conwy and the Vale of Glamorgan.

More than a quarter of Wales' four and five-year-olds are overweight - with more than one in 10 classed as obese, say public health officials.

Merthyr Tydfil tops the league for weight issues in young children, with 34% regarded as overweight. Public Health Wales looked at the Body Mass Index (BMI) of just over 1,000 children starting primary school - with a BMI over 25 considered unhealthy.

Across Wales, 26% were over that BMI - while in England it was just 22%.

The average figures for Wales are also higher than the worst region of England - which is the north-east, where 24% of four and five-year-olds have slipped into the overweight BMI zone.

Source: BBC

What measures are being taken to reduce childhood obesity?

Although this blog is about raising awareness for the severity of childhood obesity, I must give credit to those who also recognise the problem and are trying to stop it.

Jamie Oliver:

Chef Jamie Oliver wanted to introduce a tax onto drinks that contain added sugar. It would be a 20p levy tax and he introduced this idea in June 2015 and gained support from doctors as well.

How Successful:

There are still debates on whether a sugar tax should be introduced but according to the BBC, the government are finally warming it and there are talks of it being introduced next month (February 2016)

Supermarkets:

Tesco has banned ribena and capri-son along with other sugary drinks as an attempt to lower childhood obesity. 

How Successful:

Although this is a great example of how childhood obesity can be tackled, it seems that few main supermarket chains are following suit and therefore this is not successful as it has not stopped children from sourcing sugary drinks elsewhere.

Doctors:

In 2004, doctors wanted to put a ban on junk food ads claiming that it encouraged children and contributed to childhood obesity. They said that targeting children was "fundamentally wrong" and that they were "persuading people to harm themselves"

How Successful:

Advertisers bounced back and told doctors not to blame them for childhood obesity and the ban was rejected.

The Government:

The government have supposedly discussed different options to tackle childhood obesity. These include:

• Traffic light system for labelling food
• Health education campaign to highlight the risks to parents and children
• Healthy eating lessons for school-children
• Snack vending machines to be removed from schools
• National walking strategy
• More surgery for obese people on the NHS

How Successful:

The traffic light system has been put in place however it is not widely used and is mainly ignored. There are few workshops and lessons available for children and parents to highlight the risks. Lots of vending machines have been removed from school. There is a big debate about whether surgery for obese people should be on the NHS and at the moment there are requirements you must fit to be eligible for surgery.

The Implications of Childhood Obesity

Childhood Obesity is a problem with increasing numbers and one of the best ways to persuade those who need help is to show them some of the awful implications of childhood obesity.

Type 2 Diabetes: 

Sugar is a huge factor in childhood obesity and this can lead to you becoming hyperglycemic. This is a chronic disorder where the blood sugar levels are too high. This means sufferers have a very restricted diet and it can possibly lead to death if sugar levels get too high.

Emotional and Mental Health issues:

Despite the obvious of having physical health issues, it is not publicised that obesity can cause mental issues too. Living in a judgmental society, not having a perfect body type can make people feel ostracised and isolated. Being overweight can harm people's self image of themselves and emotional and mental issues.

Cancer:

Although this is fairly obvious, you may not know that obesity can cause cancers such as esophagael cancer and colon or rectum as well as pancreatic, kidney, uterine, thyroid and more than this.

Infertility:

A study showed that approximately 34% of young women (average age of 23 years) who struggle to fall pregnant due to infertility issues are also obese. This can also occur in men.

Sleep Apnea:

Sleep apnea is a disorder which causes a pause in breathing during sleep. Obesity can cause this because it affects the soft tissue in the mouth and throat which can cause a build up of mucus and can cause the airway to become blocked.

BBC News,What Are The Options?

Around one in 10 UK children in Reception and a fifth of UK children leaving primary school are obese.

A Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) report said healthy eating vouchers and after-school activities could be the answer.

But other people who work with parents of overweight children say different measures work better.

So what can be done to help prevent or reduce child obesity?

Simple advice

The government's main approach to tackling child obesity is through advice schemes like Change4Life, set up in 2009.

It provides advice and tips for families to encourage lifestyle changes - including recipes and activity ideas.

A government spokesman said since Change4Life was started, more than 2.7 million people have signed up and it now has more than 200 national partners.

There is some evidence to suggest current measures are working, as the number of overweight under-10s has remained at around 30% in the last decade and could be 'levelling off'.

But they only work if people sign themselves up and motivate themselves to follow the advice and make changes.

For the full article go to: BBC- What are the options?