A new report reveals that obesity rates in children in England are still dangerously high, despite aggressive healthy living campaigns.
The NHS Information Centre’s most recent statistics show that a quarter of children aged 4 or 5 are overweight. A third of children aged 10 or 11 are also overweight, despite government targets to reduce these figures by 2020.
Health Secretary, Alan Johnson warns that the the whole nation must help to tackle the problem along with the national campaign Chang4Life. However campaigners argue not enough is being done and shock tactics to encourage healthy eating and exercise is necessary. Change4Life will launch a new advertising campaign in the new year that will feature graphic images of oozing fat and clogged up arteries in the hope that it will shock parents into taking action.
Campaigners are also demanding that junk food adverts are not shown before the 9pm watershed.
Tam Fry from the National Obesity Form said,
“We had high hopes that there would have been a marked improvement after all the money that is being thrown at the problem but it seems that more radical measures will be needed to reduce obesity levels,” he said. “The Government’s much-vaunted healthy schools policy and other measures are obviously not working.”
The Information Centre’s chief executive, Tim Straughan, said, “Obesity is one of the biggest threats to the health of our nation and it is of huge concern that the problem is afflicting so many children and at such an early age. Over time, we expect the [measurement] programme to pinpoint trends in the prevalence of obesity which will help frontline staff to identify where best to direct their efforts in tackling the problem.”
Josh Balyly from the British Heart Foundation commented that the shocking images could have a strong impact, “But the shock value has to be accompanied by a positive message about what people can do about it, such as directions to a local leisure centre or gym,” he said.
“We know that childhood obesity is on the rise, but if parents are perceiving their overweight children to be normal then the Government faces a real challenge.”
However, Mr Fry feels that more needs to be done to help spread the word to poorer communities, “We need health professionals approaching people face to face on the high street or in supermarkets to really get these messages across,” he said.
The Minister for Public Health, Dawn Primarolo advised that information collated in the next year will confirm whether obesity levels in children had stabilised.
“If we do nothing, 90 per cent of today’s children could be overweight or obese by 2050, leaving them at risk from serious illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes,” she said. “The Change4Life revolution starts in January.”
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A new report reveals that obesity rates in children in England are still dangerously high, despite aggressive healthy living campaigns.
The NHS Information Centre’s most recent statistics show that a quarter of children aged 4 or 5 are overweight. A third of children aged 10 or 11 are also overweight, despite government targets to reduce these figures by 2020.
Health Secretary, Alan Johnson warns that the the whole nation must help to tackle the problem along with the national campaign Chang4Life. However campaigners argue not enough is being done and shock tactics to encourage healthy eating and exercise is necessary. Change4Life will launch a new advertising campaign in the new year that will feature graphic images of oozing fat and clogged up arteries in the hope that it will shock parents into taking action.
Campaigners are also demanding that junk food adverts are not shown before the 9pm watershed.
Tam Fry from the National Obesity Form said,
“We had high hopes that there would have been a marked improvement after all the money that is being thrown at the problem but it seems that more radical measures will be needed to reduce obesity levels,” he said. “The Government’s much-vaunted healthy schools policy and other measures are obviously not working.”
The Information Centre’s chief executive, Tim Straughan, said, “Obesity is one of the biggest threats to the health of our nation and it is of huge concern that the problem is afflicting so many children and at such an early age. Over time, we expect the [measurement] programme to pinpoint trends in the prevalence of obesity which will help frontline staff to identify where best to direct their efforts in tackling the problem.”
Josh Balyly from the British Heart Foundation commented that the shocking images could have a strong impact, “But the shock value has to be accompanied by a positive message about what people can do about it, such as directions to a local leisure centre or gym,” he said.
“We know that childhood obesity is on the rise, but if parents are perceiving their overweight children to be normal then the Government faces a real challenge.”
However, Mr Fry feels that more needs to be done to help spread the word to poorer communities, “We need health professionals approaching people face to face on the high street or in supermarkets to really get these messages across,” he said.
The Minister for Public Health, Dawn Primarolo advised that information collated in the next year will confirm whether obesity levels in children had stabilised.
“If we do nothing, 90 per cent of today’s children could be overweight or obese by 2050, leaving them at risk from serious illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes,” she said. “The Change4Life revolution starts in January.”
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