New warnings issued to parents about obese children
Rushda:
October 22nd, 2007
As part of a national scheme to cut obesity, the government has made new plans to send out warning letters to parents of overweight children. Obesity has been a serious concern for quite some time now, with numbers predicted to reach “dangerous levels” within the next decade. The fact that so many children barely past the age of 5 can already be considered obese is a huge issue that needs to be dealt with quickly, and by targeting parents this may be the best way.
The new plans are controversial as many people believe that overweight children will be stigmatised by the new procedure. However, health officials are convinced that the procedure is in the best interests of the children as obesity is best tackled early on in life. Currently all children are being weighed at the age of 5 under the The National Child Measurement programme, but nothing much is happening with the results and in most cases the parents are not informed.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson believes that by getting parents actively involved in restricting the diet of children and making sure they get enough exercise, childhood obesity need not become as widespread as predicted. Currently, however, he says that the statistics look grim. He says:
“More than 80% of obese 10 to 14-year-olds remain obese into adulthood.”
Furthermore, what is most worrying is that a recent report by the Commons Health Select Committee has suggested that if urgent action isn’t taken soon, thousands of children will be dying before their parents and many suffering a variety of health problems early on in life.