24
ISSUES: Fitness & Health
Chapter 2: Understanding obesity
Childhood obesity: a plan for action
Introduction
Today nearly a third of children
aged two to 15 are overweight or
obese
i,1
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 weight
4
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 the most
deprived areas and this is getting
worse.
9
Children aged five and from
the poorest income groups are twice
as likely to be obese compared to their
most well-off counterparts and by age
11 they are three times as likely.
10
Obesity is a complex problem with
many drivers, including our behaviour,
environment, genetics and culture.
However, at its root, obesity is caused
by an energy imbalance: taking in
more energy through food than we
use through activity. Physical activity
is associated with numerous health
benefits for children, such as muscle
and bone strength, health and
fitness, improved quality of sleep and
maintenance of a healthyweight.
11
There
is also evidence that physical activity and
i A child’s BMI is based on ‘weight for height’
defined as weight in kilograms divided by the
height in metres squared (kg/m
2
). To take into
account growth patterns by age and gender,
children’s BMI is compared with CMI centiles on
published growth charts. Children with a BMI
above the 98th centile are considered clinically
obsese. For population monitoring those above
the 95th centile are classed as obese.
participating in organised
sports and after school
clubs is linked to improved
academic performance.
12, 13
Long-term,
sustainable
change
will
only
be
achieved through the active
engagement
of
schools,
communities, families and
individuals.
We aim to significantly reduce
England’s rate of childhood
obesity within the next ten
years. We are confident that
our approach will reduce
childhood
obesity
while
respecting consumer choice,
economic realities and, ultimately, our
need to eat. Although we are clear in our
goals and firm in the action we will take,
the launch of this plan represents the
start of a conversation, rather than the
final word.
Goals and actions
Ö
Introducing a soft drinks industry
levy
Ö
Taking out 20% of sugar in products
Ö
Supporting innovation to help
businesses to make their products
healthier
Ö
Developing a new framework by
updating the nutrient profile model
Ö
Making healthy options available in
the public sector
Ö
Continuing to provide support with
the cost of healthy food for those
who need it most
Ö
Helping all children to enjoy an
hour of physical activity every day
Ö
Improving the co-ordination of
quality sport and physical activity
programmes for schools
Ö
Creating a new healthy rating
scheme for primary schools
Ö
Making school food healthier
Ö
Clearer food labelling
Ö
Supporting early years settings
Ö
Harnessing
the
best
new
technology
Ö
Enabling health professionals to
support families.
Conclusion
With nearly a third of children aged two
to 15 overweight or obese
14
, tackling
childhood obesity requires us all to
take action. Government, industry,
schools and the public sector all have
a part to play in making food and drink
healthier and supporting healthier
choices for our children. The benefits
for reducing obesity are clear – it will
save lives and reduce inequalities.
The actions in this planwill significantly
reduce England’s rate of childhood
obesity within the next ten years.
Achieving this will mean fewer obese
children in 2026 than if obesity rates
stay as they are.
15
References
1 Health and Social Care Information
Centre (2015) Health Survey for
England 2014.
2 Johnson W, Li L, Kuh D, Hardy R (2015)
How Has the Age-Related Process of
Overweight or Obesity Development
Changed over Time? Coordinated
Analyses of Individual Participant
Data from Five United Kingdom Birth
Cohorts. PLoS Med 12(5).
3 T. Pischon MD et al. (2008) General
and Abdominal Adiposity and Risk of
Death in Europe. The New England
Journal of Medicine. 359:2105-2120.
