Is childhood obesity still a big issue?

[Twilightimmortal]

I have just watched a doc on YouTube circa 2011 about childhood obesity and young children getting gastric bands.

In one scene they followed a family around a supermarket and watched as the parents explained their way out of buying healthier foods. Everything was so much cheaper especially the snacks.

Got me thinking that the government and press are not banging on about childhood obesity anymore. If anything its the reverse now. People are struggling to feed their children enough food!

Excuse the pun but yes, it’s a massive issue. Less reporting perhaps because there are more pressing issues in the news at the moment.

If you have eyes in your head, and you occasionally visit places where there are people (e.g. towns and cities), it is blindingly obvious that obesity among children and young people remains a huge issue.

On average, young people are far bigger now than they were when I was young.

Is the biscuit to eat?

This is a genuine wonder. If you saw the documentary you would see how different it was 10 years ago.

I find it hard to believe that anyone could have failed to notice it tbh. Do you not look at the world around you?

Jesus of course it's still a big issue! Obese children are everywhere and junk food aimed at kids is everywhere too. This must be a wind up thread.

Yes, I live in West London and work in a school.

There is a lot less obsessed children than 10 years ago.

*obese

Regarding people struggling to feed their kids these days - it is entirely possible to be malnourished and yet obese. Poor children are more likely to be obese precisely because high calorie foods with little nutritional value are often the cheapest/easiest way of keeping a family fed.

Different compared with what, exactly? You’re not being very clear. The difference you notice will depend on where you live, how often you travel around the UK, if you have your own kids at school, the area the school is in, the accessibility of cheap sporting activities, the amount of outdoor spaces, etc.

Have you not seen any children? The number of fat children around is huge.

Was sitting in the pub yesterday, loads of people there with their kids. Probably 50% of them were fat and not in a 'puppy fat' way.

Obese children are eating large amounts of very poor quality food that has very little nutritional value - empty calories. Such food is, or is generally perceived to be, cheaper than better quality, more nutritious food. A pack of four Twix bars from Poundland for £1 versus a bag of bananas for £1.30, etc.

Yes still a huge issue. I'm on holiday right now. There far more very overweight children here than you would have seen years ago. It's easy for me to say as a parent of ordinary weight kids but it makes me sad.

I have 3 children in school and work in a school so I am around children all the time.

For example yesterday I worked in holiday club with 40 children and there was one overweight child, thats it. And they weren't obese either.

This is the doc

Yes it’s still a huge problem (sorry, the puns are unavoidable here!). As pps have said, it just doesn’t have the media attention at moment but it’ll come around again just like the spotlight does on adult obesity. It’s probably not as prevalent in your leafy, affluent part of the world.

If you work in a school in quite a nice area of west London then that's not an accurate snapshot of the obesity problem. I've lived and taught in Fulham and I agree - not a shocking number of obese children. I now no longer live in a nice bit of London and have also taught supply so have seen a wind range of schools. Sadly obesity is still rife.

I'm a sahm now and see it all the time. I was at the lido with my kids the other day and it was packed. I'd say a third of the children were obese.

For example yesterday I worked in holiday club with 40 children and there was one overweight child, thats it. And they weren't obese either

Lots of fat children won't go to holiday club as it usually involves lots of sports.

A quick Google takes you to official sites which state childhood obesity is going up year on year. And apparently has dramatically increased due to the pandemic. Your sample size will be very small op, even working in a school, compared to a national study. Plus we're not actually good at judging obesity by looks alone - as we get larger as a society then we used to people looking larger.

Wide not wind!

I see a lot of overweight children and young people in the UK. Always makes me wonder about what the future holds for them as I find it harder to keep weight off as I age.

Well hurrah for a rise in poverty solving the problem of childhood obesity! Is that where we're supposed to be headed with this thread? I'm a bit confused by the OP. As others have stated it is totally possible to be malnourished and obese.

Which part of west London?

Chiswick? Or Harlesden?

Both west London, both hugely different.

I have recently been to two European holiday destinations. At the UK boarding gate for one, the number of hugely overweight people was very striking. At the other, only a very few passengers were on the plumper side of body shape. The demographics of the holiday destinations were poles apart.

I agree with @MeredithButton - what’s the point of your post?

It doesn't have media attention because there's a fair bit else crowding it out and the gov doesn't want a focus on the fact that, as a pp said, a massive pack of biscuits or crisps is cheaper than fresh fruit. Right now is not the time to be telling people they need to spend more on food. And before someone comes along and says it easy and cheap to batch cook health meals, that's only true if you have access to a decent oven and crucially, a freezer and can afford the electric to run both. When you can take a family of 4 to Macdonalds for about £12 you're not going to go a cafe and have jacket potato for £5-6 each