Tackling childhood obesity

Exercise is also vital. Rather than driving our kids everywhere, we should encourage them to walk or cycle more. We should also use exercise as a treat, a fun thing to do together as a family or with friends. Instead of packing them off to their bedrooms to play on the computer, invite their friends over and go and play football or rounders in the park. Setting a good example really helps. It helps to associate activity with fun and shows children that preparing and eating healthy meals is also fun and beneficial too.

Not just a family affair
The government is so worried by the increase in childhood obesity (and the inevitable strain on the NHS) that it's commissioned research to look at how advertising carried out by the food industry affects children's eating habits. It's also introduced a scheme to provide every child in the country aged four to six with a free piece of fruit every day and is planning to introduce more educational programmes about diet in schools.

However, the government is reluctant to go as far as restricting or even banning adverts which promote junk food on children's TV, which some medical experts would welcome. A new diet and exercise plan developed by paediatricians at Great Ormond Street Hospital has also achieved significant success with participants. Based on a traffic light approach to food, overweight children were encouraged to eat 'red' foods such as crisps and chocolates only once or twice a week, 'amber' foods such as protein, carbohydrates and dairy products, in healthy portions slightly more often and 'green' foods such as fruit and veg as often as they liked. Combined with family therapy and advice on diet, exercise and nutrition, doctors were encouraged by the success of the scheme.

Doctors in the US are already prescribing 'skinny pills' for overweight children, something most doctors here in the UK are keen to avoid. However, if diet, exercise and education aren't curbing the increasing weight of our children, it will be only a matter of time before we have to resort to medication or even surgery to help overweight children. Obesity can be a health timebomb - so experts recommend tackling the problem early on rather than paying the price later.

If you're worried about your child's weight, see your GP.

For more information, go to
www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk
www.weightconcern.co.uk