Obese children "set" before the age of 5 - how to tackle it

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So, the latest research indicates that 90% of excess weight is put on in girls before the age of 5, and in boys it is 70% before the age of 5.

One mother thinks that parents should just be told, straight, that it is down to them to ensure that this excess weight gain doesn't happen - but will this work?

There so often seems to be a backlash against the "nanny state" when parents are put in a culpable position for their children's weight issues - which then gives people an excuse to say "I'm not being told by any Government how to feed my children, they're my kids and I'll give them what I want to."

What do you think? Will people backlash against it or take advice to help their children?

bTM - I've just looked at the red book charts online and DS2 would be either on the 90th or 97th centiles, so I suspect I do need to worry

Mind you, I always thought DS1 would be underweight - 4 stone, aged 9 - and it looks from those charts as if he would be quite normal - somewhere between 50th and 75th centiles.

So if this is right - then our "skinny" children are normal and our "normal" children are definitely overweight.

But how tall is he - it is only if there is a big discrepancy that you need to worry.

Also, as I said, some children are a more muscular build - my DC take after DH and I - we both weigh heavy, but look slim/normal sized

Is that something about Medics then Fennel?

My overwhelming memory of food at Uni was making and eating lots!

I don't know how tall he is, but definitely not taller than average - he would be one of the shorter children in his class.

Well DS looks like one of the shorter ones in his class, but he is near the 75%!!

I can only recall one girl at university who was very obviously anorexic . I don't know what became of her.

My DD's piano teacher looks very anorexic. And she must be 40+

FF, I have seen plenty of overweight children in French supermarkets

FioFio, I don't think France is the solution.

There are 3 obese and 6 overweight to the eye children I can think of in our local school (about 120 children in the school).

This area of France is well known for the chips and beer so perhaps not totally representative, but childhood obesity is becoming an issue over here, although so far the problem is not on the scale of that in the USA and UK.

And there are no British children in our local school!

I've noticed that supermarkets have started removing chocolate bars and sweets from the till area in France. There are only mags and chewing gum at the moment.

Oh, I haven't seen that thread.

But it is interesting to see how other countries approach the problem which to varying degrees exists all across western europe.

DH is in Denmark this week on business and one of his first comments was about the shape of the people. (Perhaps that's because he was hoping to be in an office surrounding by leggy blondes!)

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Another bit of recent research I read was that actually, there is no longer much of a demographic difference in childhood obesity - there was, 20 years ago, but now that's changed and children in affluent areas are as likely to be overweight as children in poor areas.

It's not my field but I happened to be a conference recently where lots of the posters and talks were about obesity and children. It was very interesting.

What is the government in the UK actually doing at the moment?

I have heard about the healthy school meals campaign.

Is food advertised during childrens TV?

Is lecturing the answer though? I suppose it is in cases where parents have no clue about healthy eating, but I wonder if it fuels the obsession with weight at the same time.

That's sad Fio, the poor boy. It makes me cross that kids are so aware of fat that they think that anything (incl heads!) bigger than average can be called fat.

IMO kids should walk to school because they can (if they can). They should eat a healthy cooked lunch because they need a decent meal half way through the day. They don't need teachers banging on about the whys. This stuff should be normal.