Childhood obesity is a pandemic that continues to threaten the health of children in the UK, despite several calls for action over the years.
The prevalence of childhood obesity is concerning not only because of its immediate implications on children’s health but also because it is a poor indicator of their adult health.
Obesity in children is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) above the 95th percentile for a particular sex and age group.
In the UK, one in three children leaving primary school are overweight or living with obesity.
The National Child Measurement Programme, responsible for weighing and measuring the height of children in schools, found that the percentage of four- and five-year-olds who are obese rose to 9.6 per cent in 2023/24.
This is deeply worrying considering that children who suffer from childhood obesity are five times more likely to suffer from obesity during their adulthood.
The implications of this include a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and having an overall poorer quality of life.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has said that doctors should use their “clinical judgement” and “intervene as part of the duty of care” if they are concerned about a child’s weight.
A recent investigation revealed that only half of England has access to the necessary weight loss services for adults and even fewer for children.
Therefore, the government must invest in comprehensive services to ensure that services are not just available to children on a ‘postcode lottery’ basis.
In the past five years, nine children between the ages of 10 and 14 have warranted a surgical hip replacement due to their level of obesity causing overburdening of their hip joints.
Hip replacements are more commonly a procedure performed on elderly patients due to bone degeneration over the years
Ensuring a nutritious and balanced diet coupled with good levels of physical activity are obvious solutions to the obesity pandemic, which can be offered at minimal expense.
While the government and clinicians both have an integral role to play in combatting childhood obesity, the onus must also be on those with parental responsibility.
