According to a study published in Archives of Disease in Childhood journal, two thirds of obese children exhibit a problem with their health which is a contributor to heart disease. High cholesterol, blood sugar and high blood pressure may already be present by 12 years of age.
read moreA recent study from Canada has shown that the number of hours spent watching TV between two years and four years old can have a detrimental effect on the size of a child’s waistline by the age of 10. The study, which was published in a BioMed Central journal, looked at the television habits of 1,314 children. One extra hour of TV viewing each week at age four could affect the muscle fitness of a child aged 10 and also increase the size of their waste by half a millimetre.
read moreThe education secretary has announced that a review is to be carried out on school lunches served by schools in England. Michael Gove has selected the men responsible for the Leon chain of restaurants, John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby to carry out the review. The review is being launched as concerns continue about the standards of school food. However, Jamie Oliver believes that a review will delay progress for at least a year and has called for immediate action from the government.
read moreWith the United Kingdom having the highest obesity levels which includes child obesity, in Europe the government may find itself under pressure to follow Denmark’s lead to introduce a “fat tax”. The Danes are the first country in the world to introduce the tax on fatty foods, in a bid to reduce obesity levels.
In Denmark, there are less than 10 percent of people who are clinically obese, which is less than (more…)
Lady Gaga has turned her feelings of despair following the suicide of a 14 year old boy, into being proactive. The singer has resolved to meet with President Obama to discuss anti bullying laws. Jamey Rodemeyer, a fan of Lady Gaga killed himself after being subjected to bullying by his peers. The star wants to make bullying illegal, calling it a “hate crime”.
Gaga recently gave interviews which outlined (more…)
McDonald’s are now including the number of calories in each item on their menu. Each of its 1200 restaurants in the United Kingdom will display the information for all customers to see. McDonald’s are taking part in the Responsibility Deal which was launched by the government to address issues with public health. The initiative is to encourage companies to participate and work towards improving public health, including childhood obesity, rather than create even more red tape for companies to work through.
Over 5000 food outlets on the High Street will display the number of calories in food and drink, to help customers make a more informed and hopefully, healthier choice. Pizza Hut, KFC, Pret a Manger and J D Wetherspoon are just a few companies which are (more…)
According to a survey conducted by a discount voucher website, a large number of parents dread the school holidays due to the expense of entertaining their children. The discount voucher website questioned 1,192 parents to discover more (more…)
Child Obesity: A Parent’s Guide
This comprehensive yet easily digestible guide to child obesity is a must-have for any parent who suspects their child may be overweight or wants to develop healthy lifestyle habits that will prevent their child from becoming so.
This no-nonsense handbook de-sensationalises the media coverage about child obesity and gives parents up-to-date facts and figures about the dangers of an unhealthy lifestyle for our children. Child obesity has been referred to as a ticking time bomb which must be defused before children’s weight issues reach epidemic proportions. Judith Manson is successful in driving (more…)
As the new school year begins, state maintained primary and middle schools will roll out the National Child Measurement Programme, which aims to raise awareness of a child’s health and well being. According to statistics collected from the NCMP, almost a quarter of (more…)
According to Jamie Oliver, more people are being killed by obesity than being underweight, which is a first for the history books. The champion for healthy school meals, Jamie set about criticising the worldwide addiction to “rubbish” foods which are processed. Governments are being urged by Oliver to educate overweight children of the consequences of eating a diet of junk food.
Of the one billion people throughout the world who are overweight, 42 million are (more…)
Which? has issued a warning to parents who use pre packaged snacks as part of their child’s lunch. The labelling on these snack foods don’t provide clear information regarding the nutritional content. Parents could be packing what they believe is a healthy packed lunch for school, when it actually contains high levels of fat, sugar and salt. As the childhood obesity levels continue to rise, (more…)