to ask what can or should be done about childhood obesity?

[Bakingtins]

Prompted by this article of which I think the worst bit is not the headline grabbing 24 stone 10 yr old, but the figure that 20% of children are now obese. It's something that I have increasingly noticed at my son's swimming lessons (and those are the kids whose parents do take them swimming) and at school.
Current weighing kids at school and 5-a-day, change-4-life campaigns don't seem to be working. What do you think the government, parenting organisations, the BBC etc. could or should be doing to reverse the trend?

[Bakingtins]

One of the other things that got me thinking about it was this article in the Grauniad about the dangers of sugary drinks.

Also a conversation with a friend where someone else had commented on and worried her about how skinny her completely normal 6 yr old was - you can see a few ribs and shoulder blades but he is no way too thin. Perception of normal has been completely warped.

[PaulSmenis]

I think portion size has a lot to do with it.

[blondefriend]

• snacking
  
• portion size
  
• processed food
  
• cars rather than walking
  
• advertising and product placement
  

I know I am guilty of all of these at times in my house. Most are due to time issues and others due to SN/eating/allergies. I have recently read "French Kids eat Everything" and am trying to apply some of the rules. However it is difficult. One thing that would really help is decent school dinners. I would love for my kids to be given 1 cooked option for lunch with decent portion sizes and teachers/staff sitting and eating at the table with the children. Can see why it will never happen though. :(

[PinkSippyCup]

I'm a new parent (DD is 9mo) and I have been amazed at the amount of junk people try and feed her!

I was made to feel like a horrible Mother because I wouldn't feed my baby cake at 10pm. She doesn't know what cake is, so how can it be 'mean' to not give it to her??

I think the whole food=love thing is a lot to do with it. It is a constant battle with family wanting to cram as much sugar and crap as they can down DD's throat. And as she gets older and actually wants these foods, it's only going to get worse.

[PinkSippyCup]

Reading this thread it has made me see that me and DD need to walk more, rather than always using the car!

[Bluelovesred]

I find this really hard at the moment with the news and constant research. My 3.5 year old DS is most probably obese even though he is off the charts at 112cm and has been since 5 months old. He has an insatiable appetite and no 'off switch' along with some extremely demanding behaviour which makes it hard to limit what he eats, although of course I do. No one who has not been in my position will understand the worry normal things such as parties, days out and holidays cause a parent such as I.

For the record I was an overweight child and have not been since 16. Both my DH and I have a BMI of around 21 and DS2 is small for his age.

I feel completely judged all the time even though the skinniest children I know seem to have the largest parents thus although skinny now, most probably an overweight adult.

[Wishwehadgoneabroad]

Exercise exercise exercise

Plus, we've forgotten what kids are supposed to look like. It should be normal to see their ribs.

[Bluelovesred]

Normal for many children, not others. It is easy to forget we all come in different shapes and sizes and believe our children should all fit some identikit mold.

let's not forget that eating disorders are on the rise and I infect suffered one due to the constant pressure as a child over my weight.

[Talkinpeace]

blueloves
sorry but you are wrong
having visible ribs should be normal for over 90% of children

when I was at primary school there were about three fat kids in the whole school (out of 150 : I have the photos)

at my secondary, two girls were "fat" (out of 60) - looking back at pictures of them they were slim compared to nowadays DDs friends
and the fatter one is a c list sleb and she's still large but not fat

[Sirzy]

It is also easy to pretend their is no problem when there is, so often even on threads on here you see parents upset at being told their child is overweight and then burying their head in the sand about the problem.

It's not about judging people, it's about concern for the health of future generations. There is a link between childhood obesity and later life health problems and obese it, of course not all overweight children become overweight adults but that doesn't mean the problem should be ignored.


Forming a good relationship with food and exercise early in life is vital for future health. It really is as simple as that, and if that means us as adults making changes to lifestyle to benefit our children in the long run then that is what we need to do.

[FrancesDeLaTourCoughngIntoABin]

sandwich year@

"As in previous years, a strong positive relationship existed between deprivation
and obesity prevalence for children in each age group. The obesity prevalence
among Reception year children attending schools in areas in the least deprived
decile was 6.8% compared with 12.3% among those attending schools in areas
in the most deprived decile. Similarly, obesity prevalence among Year 6 children
attending schools in areas in the least deprived decile was 13.7% compared with
24.3% among those attending schools in areas in the most deprived decile."

From the NHS IC report on obesity in school-aged children

[cory]

WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo Wed 07-Aug-13 13:40:14
"My generation was made to 'eat everything put in front of you'. We were threatened with being served leftovers for breakfast and reminded about starving children in Africa. So how come childhood obesity is worse now, when we don't force small children to eat what we give them?"

We were made to eat everything that was put before us at lunch- and then there was nothing more to eat until teatime.

Today's children (well, a lot of them) have constant access to unhealthy snacks: you see toddlers out in their buggies clutching large bags of crisps and a bottle of fizzy.

In the last decade that I have noticed that undergraduates increasingly expect to snack during lectures; nobody has informed them that the human frame is capable of coping for a few hours without sustenance.

Also school dinners help to spread the idea that chips and ready-made burgers/chicken nuggets etc are everyday food rather than (as in my childhood) party foods.

When I go to Sweden I read the school dinner menus for the local schools (published every week in the local paper) and every time I go through the same reaction: first I feel grumpy and hard done by that my kids can't get anything similar in their school and then I mutter to myself with a sigh "but you could never get the kids to eat it anyway". Their children are still expected to eat boiled spuds and raw carrots as a matter of course.

[Bluelovesred]

Says who? You? research? really if your children are not overweight yet, you should really find something else to worry about.

I will reiterate, I was an overweight child subjected to repeated diets, restrictions on food and weighing regimes at school, I developed an eating disorder from which I thankfully recovered.

I am now at the slim end of my BMI naturally and and I'm guessing my son may turn out similarly.


At the other end of the spectrum, only around 10 to 20% of children in this country are obese but around 40 to 50% of adults are.

Most of the skinny children I see have overweight parents and this is a far greater indicator of adult propensity for obesity.

People are often gobsmacked that someone as slight as me should have such a large child along with a 25th centile one.

All I can say is we are all different and it is about time people stopped judging others on weight, I am fed up to the back teeth of saying yes my son is a giant, yes he is a big boy ad infinitum

[hardboiledpossum]

Ban advertising for junk food, including the vast majority if breakfast cereals.

As long as the food is healthy there is no need for portion control or refusing snacks, infact t this will do more harm than good.

[Sirzy]

Blue love. You can argue it all you like but it is true you should be able to see the ribs on a healthy child. I have been told that by at least 3 different pediaricians!

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

Kids and adults need to eat less and move more. Smaller portions and more playing out and less computer games.

School dinners are not the problem - over the course of a year only 20% of meals are eaten at school. It's what goes on at home that counts.

We have made this whole food thing far too complicated with every study contradicting the last.

[RobotHamster]

Get rid of crappy sugary carby nutritionally-devoid snacks. If they want sonething between meals, give them fruit.

[Sirzy]

Even if food is healthy you can eat to much of it, it still contains calories!

[hardboiledpossum]

There is lots of research that has shown grazing is a much healthier way to eat. I would link but am on phone. I graze throughout the day and combine this with light meals. I snack on fruit or Vegs and humous or half an avocado or some nuts and seeds. I try to avoid cereal and only have small servings if carbs with my meals. I am a size 6. My larger friends seem to eat mountains of carbs but not much fat, they have reduced fat yogurt anew cheese and other such rubbish

[Sirzy]

Most people have 3 large meals and then snack constantly inbetween though which isn't a healthy way to eat no matter what you are eating.

If food is spread out through the day that is different and works better for some people. Constant snacking is different though and not a healthy way to eat.

[cory]

I would say while school dinners are not the problem they are a problem- they normalise the everyday eating of junk food, and this comes from a place that young children are most likely to regard as an authority: they have been told that school knows best and that they are there to learn. I found it much harder to sell the idea of healthy eating versus party food once ds had found out what was on offer every day at school (but how can it be bad for you if the dinner ladies tell you to eat it?).

My SILs have been in a situation where their home take on healthy food is supported by the school and borne out by what the children actually experience on school premises. Lucky them!

[hardboiledpossum]

Sirzy, children can self regulate so if offered healthy food will not over eat. Controlling portion size causes children to lose this ability.

[HeySoulSister]

Agree snacking is an issue..... Can kids do anything these days without crappy snacks being obligatory? Cinema, bowling, a trip to the shops...

Then the 'snacks' themselves... Smoothies, cereal bars, cheestrings,lots of fruit.... Do people really think these are great?

Then there's the 'treat' culture.... Why are treats always crappy food?

And those who are calling for more exercise in schools! Really?? Have you seen the sorry excuses from parents here on MN on all the annual sports day threads?

No. Us parents need to promote activity and exercise. All my children see ME run/train/shred/walk/hike/cycle etc.... And join in. All these sports are family friendly. Something out there for everyone

[HeySoulSister]

I also think packed lunches are a problem

Again cheestrings, white bread, kids yoghurts,