Good habits start within the home

With obesity levels among our young people hitting record highs, the question of what can be done to arrest the worrying trend must be addressed. Research by this newspaper has revealed children as young as 14 are being handed drugs in a bid to curb their weight gain.

Meanwhile, more than a dozen local young people in their 20s have required life-saving bariatric surgery – a last resort to treat the morbidly obese.

But are such dramatic measures the best solution?

It may be somewhat simplistic, but it is tempting to suggest intervention and education at a far earlier stage would be beneficial.

We are told extreme solutions, such as medication, are only ever considered when “repeated diet and exercise intervention” has been attempted.

But at what stage is this regime judged to have failed? And how overweight or obese does one have to be in the first place before such an “intervention” of diet and exercise is introduced?

The onus must remain on individuals to take responsibility – and for young children that means their parents.

Lifestyle, culture and learned behaviour are certain to have a hugely significant impact on a young person’s long-term life choices.

The value of setting a good example in the home cannot be overstated.