Childhood Obesity

We have all seen the increasing number of media articles highlighting the growing trend of childhood obesity. The latest figures show that 8.5% of six year olds rising to 15% of all 15 year olds are now technically obese. The government is now planning to act on this and is asking the new TV regulator Ofcom to draw up a tough new code on junk food and drinks promotion directed at children. Food promotion is not just about TV advertising (although TV ads dominate), but also includes printed advertising, SMS messaging, celebrity endorsements, sponsorship of educational materials and other promotions and voucher schemes.

Parental overfeeding is very common with many parents under pressure and not spending much time with their children. They often compensate for their feeling of guilt by giving their children presents and food. So next time your child is upset and reaches for the biscuit tin, try given them a cuddle instead. Overall, children’s diets contain more fat, sugar and salt than is recommended.

As well as overeating children are exercising less. With increased television watching and more and more families having computers or game machines at home active pursuits have taken a back seat. Added to that is the increased demands of the national curriculum in the classroom have resulted in a squeeze on sport with many children lucky if they get an hour of games twice a week. This combined with the pressure of exams and it is no surprise that many opt to swot rather than to tear around a sports field. Then there is our own caution about safety and a reluctance to let our children out of our sight which often means that even our children’s play dates tend to take place in our homes. The days of “run along to the park for a while and try to be back before dark” are long gone. Even the humble walk to school and back seems to apply to the minority.

The Health Education Authority recommends that children should get an hour of physical activity a day. Here are a few simple suggestions to help meet this target:

• Walk: If it is not possible for your child to walk to school and back at least try and stop off at the local park or make them have some time in the garden afterwards. Weekends is the perfect chance to get out into the countryside for a good stomp.
• Cycle: Get the whole family involved and find some good local circuits (even if it just the local park). Have fun by timing your child and then try to get them to improve upon their records.
• Swimming: Let them spend an hour splashing around and doing a few lengths.
• Sport: Get them to join in after-school sports clubs or see what activities are available at your local leisure centre. Not only will they keep fit but they will learn new skills and make new friends too.
• Playing games: there are wide variety of fun games such as swingball, garden tennis, basket ball hoops, frisbee or ball games that can be played in the garden or at the nearby park. Check out your local sports or toy shop.
• Dancing: A great indoor activity for dark or wet evenings. Simply put on a lively CD and go for it!

Then once your children have worked up a good appetite, it will be much easier to serve them a healthy meal with lots of fruit and vegetables!

Babies to exercise too!
Recent evidence shows that youngsters brain development can be harmed by lack of physical movement and concern about the inactive lives of even the youngest children. A new government-backed scheme at Sure Start centres around the country will show mothers how to give their babies a daily ten-minute exercise routine to help improve their infants mental skills. Among the recommended exercises are suggestions that parents rock newborns up and down and forward and back, as well as from side to side and also that they encourage older babies to roll over onto their tummies and back again.