Official warnings are to be sent to parents if their children are found to be overweight, under new proposals to tackle Britian’s growing obesity crisis.
Children in England and Wales are currently weighed at the ages of five and 10, but parents are only informed of the results if they request them.
Ministers are now considering measures which would see parents receive the results automatically.
And their involvement could be compulsory, unless they choose to take their children out of the national schools weigh-in programme.
The Department of Health said it was prepared to go “further” to cut the rising levels of obesity in children by helping parents understand the importance of a healthy weight and lifestyle.
Critics have warned the move could stigmatise fat children, but ministers believe to do nothing is not an option.
Shropshire Star doctor Roger Henderson fears obesity in children could be the next epidemic.
“There is now good evidence fat children in the main will grow up into fat adults and more worryingly we are now seeing evidence of early heart disease in the form of fatty streaks in heart blood vessels in children as young as 10,” he said.
Dr Henderson said he did not believe parents were becoming any more aware of the obesity problems in children, despite it hitting the headlines.
He said: “I haven’t seen any rise in parents bringing children to the doctors regarding weight related issues in their children.
“It may be that as parents get fatter they may become less aware of their children getting fatter and consider it as the norm.”
A report by the Government’s Foresight think-tank last week warned 60 per cent of men, 50 per cent of women and 26 per cent of children and young people would be obese by 2050.
A DoH spokesman said: “Tackling child obesity is a government priority and the weighing and measuring programme is an important element of this. We need to take this further and help parents to understand the importance of healthy weight.”
By Sunita Patel and Kirsty Marston
12 Comments
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m sure it will be as effective as their policy on alcohol (24hr drinking - increase in drink related health and crime problems), gun crime (restrict sales of air rifles - massive upsurge in gun crime) and let’s not even mention the health service…..
They have made a good job of increasing the gap between rich and poor and encouraging immigration, but I’m sure they really know best.
…the next epidemic, like bird flu, blue-tongue, foot & mouth and fatties? Are you bonkers Roger? Media rubbish at it’s worst - what will it be next year an “epidemic” of thin smokers? An epidemic of flu or TB may be but slighty over weight people labelled as fatties as an epidemic… now where did I leave that infected chip pan?
not at all, if the parents having recieved the letter refuse advise then the social services should be brought in to prtect the child .
yet agian the shropshire star comes out with big headlines.
in this day and age with all the PC brigade can people be called fat?
I wonder if Dr Roger Henderson understands the role played by industrial PM2.5 emissions in the obesity epidemic that Dr Dick van Steenis has been predicting fror at least eight years?
See the obesity section at the UK Health Research website.
Dr Pui-Ling Li, the Director of Public Health at Waltham Forest PCT observed that obesity rates among schoolchildren were not related to deprivation.
Who will be the second Director of Public Health to wake up to the provable hazards of industrial PM2.5 emissions?
Michael Ryan, Campaign Co-ordinator, Safe Waste in Shropshire
Do government ministers honestly think parents won’t notice that their kids are fat?
The ministers are either obviously thicker than we thought or they are being downright patronising.
clearly many parents are to thick to notice what revolting fat specimens there children have become, as for pc itn news today called them FAT KIDS thats what they are the parents should be ashamed go to a college and see how fat the students are its a disgrace.
OK, how about the government target the manufacturers instead of the consumers? But no that would cost the government millions in revenue.
it is nothing to do with the manufacturers thats a cop out. people control what they put in there mouths , children should be controlled by there parents , fat people have excuse after excuse for there over eating and bone idle lifestyle they need a good kick up the back side.
my son is overweight. He is also disabled! He has a very healthy diet - lots of fruit and veg, not many sweets (he’s gluten and dairy free) but due to an injury a couple of years ago plus his disability he has become very overweight. You cannot judge everyone the same!!
with respect to the person above all fat people are not being judged the same way. we are talking about a child who is over eating having no excersise and his parents do nothing about it and are probably the same . These lot need to be told what to do .
I`ve always been terribly underweight & would love to put on a stone or two…………yet I eat anything & everything. Always been very “wound up” though - maybe people who get very overweight are too placid!!