One third of children in Britain are officially overweight by the time they leave primary school, due to poor eating habits and too much time slouched in front of the TV or a computer screen.
In the great sporting year that was London 2012 it is ironic that McDonalds and Coca Cola were sponsors of the Olympic games?having done probably more to encourage obesity in childhood than anyone.
The answer, according to the latest research, is getting the kids back outside, enjoying the same sort of childhood as previous generations ? which involved little more than large doses of fresh air.
At the same time as children are spending more leisure time than ever indoors, the amount of sports played at school is being reduced ? leading to a ticking time bomb for the kids of today and the adults they will become in the future.
Life-Threatening Conditions in Later Life
Childhood obesity affects not only kids? health and well-being, it can cause life-threatening conditions in later life, most commonly diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia are often another side effect as overweight youngsters grow into adults ? and when you add all-too-frequent emotional and psychological problems into the mix, including depression and low self-esteem, it is easy to understand why there is universal concern at the problem.
Research shows that obese children are more likely to grow up to be overweight adults, and obesity during adolescence is known to increase the risk of mortality during adulthood.
Clinically Overweight or Obese
Official statistics have revealed that a quarter of boys and one-third of girls from as young as two up to the age of 19 are clinically overweight or obese. And it?s no surprise that the main causes are too little exercise and a poor diet high in sugar, salt and saturates.
Despite the best efforts of Jamie Oliver and his nationwide school dinners campaign, kids are still tucking into too much junk food, including confectionery, crisps and fast-food burgers, causing childhood obesity to triple in the past 30 years.
The answer appears obvious ? introducing our children to a healthier lifestyle and embracing better eating habits and a greater amount of physical activity.
- The Department for Education has dropped its pledge to enforce state schools to provide two hours of PE a week for every child?a move which has come in for criticism from double Olympic gold winner Dame Kelly Holmes, who called for stronger links between schools, communities and sports clubs to encourage more young people to participate in sport on a regular basis.
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Nicki Williams writes for Gear-Zone, on-line specialists in sportswear, fitness and exercise equipment, and sports and outdoor footwear.
Picture source: Compfight
Source: http://hercaribbean.com/healthandbeauty/childhood-obesity-a-ticking-timebomb
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