A new report has shown a sharp rise in the number of obese children.

The survey, carried out by Datamonitor, showed that a third of children are now classed as overweight or obese.
‘Kids Nutrition: New Perspectives and Opportunities’ identified rising prosperity as one of the main causes. It said:

“With prosperity increasing globally, there has been an increased propensity for kids to overindulge, leading to the numbers of overweight children rising alarmingly.”

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has previously defined obesity as what happens when a person has

“put on weight to the point that it could seriously endanger their health. This is caused by a combination of eating too many calories and not doing enough physical activity.”

The diversity of food and drink aimed at children is at an all time high, with a steady stream of high sugar and processed foods made readily available.

The report, which focussed on European countries and the US, Canada, Japan, and Australia Korea amongst others, highlighted its concern with sugary, carbonated drinks and other snacks. Baked food such as cakes and pies were most popular amongst children in the Middle East and Europe, but manufacturers are attempting to make such food healthier by developing products with higher fruit content.

This research is supported by that carried out by the BBC, which found that 27% of children in the UK were overweight. This shows a sharp increase from 2007, when 17% of boys and 16% of girls aged from 2 to 15 were medically obese. In 1995, the figures were 11% and 12% respectively.

This has resulted in increased instances of children developing type 2 diabetes in their teens.