Study: Children in TRNC among fattest in world

SECONDARY school-age children in the TRNC are among the fattest in the world, a new study has indicated.

Around one in three children aged 12 to 15 is either overweight or obese, according to research conducted by the Cyprus Turkish Diabetes Association (KTDD).

The findings were based on measurements of 698 children taken at 607 households throughout July.

They showed that 16.9 per cent were “overweight” and another 14.8 per cent were “obese” — almost 32 per cent in total.

The figures suggest that children in North Cyprus are as heavy as those in countries such as the US and the UK.

A report published last year by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that the share of children who are overweight or obese at age 15 stood at 31 per cent in the United States, according to data from 2009-2010.

Figures from Public Health England from a 2014-2016 survey showed that almost 35 per cent of children there aged 11 to 15 were overweight or obese.

Revealing details of the TRNC research at a press conference in Lefkoşa on Monday, Caner Arca, president of the KTDD, warned that obesity was a “trigger” for a number of other ailments, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and elevated blood lipids.

Pointing out that obesity was an “important public health problem on a global level”, Mr Arca said rates were increasing in both developed and developing countries. He said a previous study carried out by the KTDD in 2005 showed that the obesity rate among seven- to 16-yearolds was 11.3 per cent and that another one conducted in 2007 among secondary schoolchildren put it at 13.8 per cent. The 2005 research showed that parents were also struggling with their weight, with 54.9 per cent of fathers and 68.7 per cent of mothers classed as either overweight or obese. A separate questionnaire as part of the latest research showed that six out of 10 people believe that parents are to blame for their children’s ballooning weight. About 44 per cent of parents said their children did not have a healthy diet, but just 2 per cent said they checked the ingredients and nutritional information provided on food and drink packaging when shopping. Two-thirds checked expiry dates, 12 per cent the price and 7 per cent the brand of the product, Mr Arca added. “There has not been a successful fight against obesity so far in the country,” he said. “We are ready to contribute to those who are involved or interested in the matter.” Doctor Hasan Sav, an endocrinology and metabolism specialist, said at the press conference that children should spend at least one hour a day at school doing “effective physical activity” and that lessons on “healthy eating and lifestyles” should be included in the curriculum.