THOUSANDS OF TOTS ARE BORN Scandal of UK’s obese babies

done about the obesity problem. We’re woefully short on mothers and fathers knowing how to bring up their children.” Health bosses recommend babies should not be weaned off milk until they are six months old. But Mr Fry said by 17 weeks some babies are on solids, including pureed Chinese takeaway, with catastrophic consequences. He said: “It is giving babies a taste for unhealthy food that will stay with them for life. “Feeding solids is more convenient for our busy lifestyles and that means very young children are consuming far more than they should be.”

Jane Munro, of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “Babies are getting bigger and sadly babies born obese are more likely to be obese later in life.

Blamed

“It is a huge concern and it’s vital pregnant women who are overweight get specific advice to help them during antenatal care.”

Obesity- r elated conditions accounted for 10,082 admissions to hospitals in England last year – a figure that has quadrupled in the past decade. Lesley McCormack, founder of the obesity support charity HOOP, said it found over half of GP surgeries offered little or no help for obese patients.

She said when they were discharged from hospital they were not getting any continued support.

She said: “My daughter was obese. She had epilepsy and her medication caused her to gain a lot of weight.

“I went to the GP and asked for help but I was judged, blamed and ignored. I was told it was my fault, it was me who was putting the food in her mouth.

“At school, children get measured and weighed and their parents get a letter in the post telling them their child is overweight or obese. But there is no support for them. They are not signposted anywhere.”

Crisis

Ms McCormack believes weight issues are often linked to poor mental health and that more money needs to be ploughed into services to help those with depression and anxiety.

She said: “We run support groups for people struggling with obesity and more than half are suffering from some sort of mental health issue. Nobody is going to be able to tackle their weight