General Article Childhood obesity: a plan for action

Topic Selected: Fitness
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Introduction

Today nearly a third of children aged two to 15 are overweight or obesei, and younger generations are becoming obese at earlier ages and staying obese for longer.2 Reducing obesity levels will save lives as obesity doubles the risk of dying prematurely.3 Obese adults are seven times more likely to become a type 2 diabetic than adults of a healthy weight4 which may cause blindness or limb amputation. And not only are obese people more likely to get physical health conditions like heart disease, they are also more likely to be living with conditions like depression.5, 6

The economic costs are great, too. We spend more each year on the treatment of obesity and diabetes than we do on the police, fire service and judicial system combined.7 It was estimated that the NHS in England spent £5.1 billion on overweight and obesity-related ill-health in 2014/15.8

The burden is falling hardest on those children from low-income backgrounds. Obesity rates are highest for children from ...

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