New clinic to target obesity in children

A SPECIALIST clinic that will target severe childhood obesity is being launched at Leicester Royal Infirmary, the NHS has confirmed.

A pilot scheme will see 15 new clinics care for severely obese children and their families across England.

Leicester Royal Infirmary will receive a clinic, shared with Nottingham Children’s Hospital, and will support the most severely obese youngsters in the East Midlands.

The move comes after the head of the NHS in England, Amanda Pritchard, said many young people had struggled with weight gain during the pandemic. The crisis had “shone a harsh light” on obesity, she said.

About 1,000 children aged between two and 18 will benefit from the services each year, through diet plans, mental health treatment and coaching.

They will have access to a variety of medical experts, including dieticians, psychologists, specialist nurses and a children’s doctor, as well as social workers and youth workers.

The pilot scheme will be extended to the rest of the country if successful.

Obesity affects one in five children in the UK. In England, the number of children living with obesity doubles from the start to the end of primary school.

Ms Pritchard said: “Left unchecked, obesity can have other very serious consequences, ranging from diabetes to cancer.

“This early intervention scheme aims to prevent children and young people enduring a lifetime of illhealth.

“The NHS Long Term Plan is committed to take more action to help children and young people with their physical and mental health and these new services are a landmark moment in efforts to help them lead longer, healthier and happier lives.”

Soon to be published, NHS Digital’s National Child Measurement for England for the 2020-21 school year will provide an up-to-date picture of the situation.

It looks at the body mass index classification rates by age, sex, and ethnicity, as well as geographic analyses.

The measurement covers children from reception to year six in mainstream state schools.

The report from 2019-20 produced some stark findings, including an increase in obesity from 9.7 per cent in 2018-19 to 9.9 per cent for children in reception years, while year six levels of obesity increased from 20.2 per cent in 2018-19 to 21 per cent in 2019-20.

Last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the government’s anti-obesity strategy and was said to have become passionate about the issue after his severe bout of Covid.

The strategy includes plans for a 9pm watershed on TV and online adverts for food high in fat, sugar and salt, as well as ending deals such as buy-one-get-one-free on food high in salt, sugar and fat.

COUNSELLING, DIET PLANS AND COACHING TO BE OFFERED AT INFIRMARY