Childhood obesity is a problem we can solve
The Welsh Government is set to produce a plan next year to tackle childhood obesity. Here, Dr David Tuthill, officer for Wales at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), explains how politicians and families can tackle this growing prob
EAT a balanced diet, exercise for at least 60 minutes a day and make sure three of these hours a week are spent skipping, jumping and hopping to help build up muscle and bone strength.
That’s what all children are officially recommended to do for their health.
It sounds so easy when you say it, but in reality it’s becoming increasingly difficult to meet the recommended daily requirements.
Today in Wales, 27% of children are overweight or obese by the time they start primary school.
This means they are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and asthma – something we are seeing much earlier in childhood – and later in life, heart disease and cancer.
But it hasn’t always been this way. So what’s changed?
Trying to maintain a healthy weight in 21st-century Wales is tough for families.
The cost of living is sky-high, parents often have to juggle childcare arrangements with work, school and other activities, in addition to just staying on top of everyday home life.
As the saying goes, “there aren’t enough hours in the day”, so building these recommendations into each day can be challenging for families.
■ Environmental factors
We’re living in a marketingdriven world where advertising not only influences what children eat but also how much they eat.
The top-spending crisp, confectionary and sugary drinks brands spend £143m a year advertising their products.
■ A plan to cut childhood obesity
In the summer of 2018, politicians in Westminster published chapter two of their Childhood Obesity Plan.
It could pave the way for clear front-of-pack labelling, a ban on advertising food and drinks high in salt, sugar and fat on television before 9pm and it could see the end of unhealthy price promotions.
Much of this is likely to apply UK-wide, including Wales, and new rules on advertising on TV and radio would have an impact here.
Similarly, in Scotland, the government published its Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, which includes a consultation on restricting the promotion and marketing of certain unhealthy food and drinks.
It also has an “out of home” strategy to encourage food outlets to provide calorie information to customers, in addition to providing healthy weight support for women before conception.
All of these proposals, along with commitments to reduce childhood obesity by 50% by 2030 are very welcome.
The Welsh Government is working on its strategy to reduce obesity here in Wales and we’re looking forward to seeing a draft in the new year.
■ Our vision
We need to prevent the next generation of children starting school overweight or obese.
To do that, we need a combination of parental responsibility, government action and efforts from healthcare professionals, schools and children themselves.
For families wanting to know how they can support their child, I have a few tips...
When it comes to exercise, try and build it around your existing day – where possible, swap the morning or afternoon drive to school for a walk or cycle. Alternatively, if they go to clubs after school or a friend’s house, walk or cycle there instead.
Sugar is one of the leading causes of obesity and poor dental health is the main reason why children aged between five and nine years old are admitted to hospital.
Removing excess sugar from your child’s diet will make a huge difference to their health and to do this you could:
■ try swapping sugary snacks like cakes, biscuits, chocolate and sweets for fruit, plain rice cakes and toast, using lower-fat spread;
■ swapping fizzy drinks for water, sugar-free or no added sugar options.
Next year could shape up to be an exciting year for child health and no more so because of the anticipated publication of Wales’ very own obesity reduction plan.
I look forward to a year which puts child health at the top of the political agenda, which adds to Wales’ future prosperity and, most importantly, one that could potentially make families’ daily lives a little less challenging.