Childhood obesity bites poor kids too
Once upon a time, being a fat kid meant endless teasing by schoolmates. Now, the opposite might become the trend in the US and UK, with thin kids being singled out for teasing. Because, childhood obesity is sweeping through the two countries, threatening to put a large strain on their health spends.
Data released by the UK Department of Health has shown that as many as one kid in every 10 in the country is obese when starting primary school at around the age of 5 years, making abnormally fat children the norm more than the exception. The figure is more alarming for children starting secondary school, or 11-year-olds. One in 5 such kids is classified as ‘obese’, meaning he or she will have a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30. In a nutshell, this means a huge chunk of the population is vulnerable to a host of health problems including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, back, joints and knee problems, among others, early in life.
Surprisingly, certain very poor areas in the UK are more prone to having fat children than are some wealthy neighborhoods, the data reveals. From 17 per cent now, the percentage of obese children is threatening to swell to 25 per cent by 2050 in the UK.
Tam Fry, a spokesperson for the not-for-profit organization National Obesity Forum, told the Daily Mail, “There is a lot of literature now that confirms the first year of life is absolutely critical – and that fat children are in danger of staying fat for the rest of their lives. In the first half year of life babies are naturally plump. But after that they should be starting to grow into their weight. What many parents will consider puppy fat usually stays with children for their lives and leads to untold health problems.”
Fry attributed increased instances of obesity in poor neighborhoods to the fact that they had single mothers who had to rely on fattening and unhealthy but cheap convenience foods for their children.
The story isn’t any better in the US. A study that reviewed the weights and heights of more than 26,000 children found that just 37.6 per cent of the subjects were of normal weight. From increased consumption of junk and fattening food to lack of physical activity and addiction to the internet and video games, a number of factors have contributed to childhood obesity. In 2008, the percentage of obese and overweight children was pegged at 32 per cent of the general population in the US.
Besides altering the quality of life of the general population, the obesity epidemic can stretch the public healthcare system to the limits. And perhaps even beyond.
