Why are UK kids getting bigger and bigger?

As reported by the BBC – government figures show that childhood obesity has doubled in the last 10 years. A 2,000 child survey undertaken by the Health and Social Care Information Centre has found that 1-in-4 children is now obese in the UK. This is a shocking statistic, given that 1-in-5 adults is currently obese. It kind of gives a sign of things to come…

It is highly likely that unless something dramatic is done about this, then this growth in obesity is likely to continue. If it only continues at this current rate (i.e. if it doesn’t get any worse), then by 2010:

• 28% of boys aged 11-15 will be obese;and
• 36% of girls aged 11-15 will be obese

That is just shocking. We are not talking overweight here, we are talking obese! We are also not talking aesthetics (which is enough of a psychological problem for teenagers as it is) – we are talking about serious health issues.

Ultimately, this could lead to an explosion of diabetes in the UK. According to diabetes.org.uk – obese people are up to 80 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and Amanda Eden, care adviser at Diabetes UK, warns:

“We will soon be seeing our children growing up losing limbs and becoming blind, as they develop the serious complications of having the condition.”

Not to mention the massively increased risk of degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. For instance, Prof Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum highlights that

“Being obese at adolescence increases the cancer risk by 21% for girls and 14% for boys.

Very scary indeed.

SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!

But what? The kids do not want to get off the Internet, the pharmaceutical companies would far rather spend their billions on making more obesity drugs rather than fighting the cause, the food manufacturers would rather keep peddling sugar, salt, sweeteners, chemicals, dairy and drugs than sell fresh foods, schools would still rather serve up chips than salads and the Government are happy to just sit on their ****s.

It would be easy to say that it wasn’t like this when we were kids – we were off climbing trees etc. but you cannot blame the kids. This is the society that they are living in, they do not know anything else.

So whose fault is it? Or rather more importantly – who has got the power to change this and what can they do about it?

Note: This blog is only my opinion. It is not medical advice or diagnosis. Only opinions based upon our own personal experiences or information detailed in medical/academic journals or other publications is cited. WE DO NOT OFFER MEDICAL ADVICE or prescribe any treatments. Please consult with a medical professional before making any diet or nutrition changes. Refer to our full disclaimer for more information.