Childhood obesity has risen steadily since the late nineties and in 2017 reached a worryingly high level with “nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 classified as overweight or obese” (Department of Health (DoH)). Alongside that stark fact is a more worrying observation that “younger generations are becoming obese at earlier ages and staying obese for longer”.

According to the NHS’s estimated percentages of obese children, childhood obesity reached a peak in 2005 and has slowly fallen during the succeeding years but remains close to a third of children. This figure is too high. There is slight cause for optimism that the figure appears to be falling. The graph below (fullfact.org) shows the estimated figures up to 2015.

Calorie imbalance is the most basic cause of obesity; more energy ingested than expelled. This, however, does not provide a true enough picture of the wider cultural, economic, environmental, genetic and behavioural elements that all contribute to obesity in children and adults.

Let’s add some detail to these elements:

• Cultural. As a developed nation we have a tendency to indulge on leisure time and over the past two generations this time has shifted from mostly outdoor, physical activities to indoor, sedentary activities.
• Economic. On the whole, processed foods containing high levels of fat and sugar are less expensive than healthier alternatives. As the UK is still in the midst of the aftermath of the 2008 economic collapse, price-centric decision making is still essential to maintaining a certain quality of life.
• Environmental. Unreliable weather and a lack of local facilities contribute to children spending more time indoors, largely glued to electronic devices. According to pediatrician Dr Aakash Pandita “television viewing is the single best established environmental cause in the evolution of childhood obesity”.
• Genetic. Some of us have to work harder at keeping the weight off our frames.
• Behavioural. As with the cultural and environmental shifts in the past decade behaviours towards leisure time, diet and the activities we choose to engage in have changed to the detriment of overall health and mobility.

The gravest concern of childhood obesity is its prevalence in adulthood. The World Health Organisation details that obese children are more likely to become obese adults, who are consequently more likely “to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age”. This correlation is all the more concerning when one considers Public Health England research that suggests the number of obese children grows throughout their time at school.

The effects of obesity spread wider than the health of the individual. The DoH reported in 2017 that the NHS bill for “overweight and obesity-related ill-health” ran to £5.1 billion during 2014-15. It is very clear that the earlier we can act to help prevent childhood, and therefore adulthood, obesity the better the outcomes will be for the individual and the nation as a whole. Early years are a crucial time to develop healthy habits that once established will stay with children throughout their journey into adulthood. It is therefore essential that parents, teachers, schools and communities unite to make substantial changes at the early stages of children’s lives.

The government outlined [2017] an objective for primary schools to provide 30 minutes of “moderate to vigorous physical activity a day” to be achieved via “active break times, PE, extra-curricular clubs, active lessons, or other sport and physical activity events”. Daily activity is essential to help level any calorie imbalance in children.

Schools are also in a unique position to help educate pupils on the damaging effects of obesity and to introduce strategies for children to maintain a healthy weight. Cross-curricular opportunities exist where food and energy can be used as themes in a number of subjects.

There is a risk that schools and teachers are put in the unfair position of being asked to deal with such a widespread societal issue. This notion was argued most recently by Ofsted boss Amanda Spielman after “a study of 60 schools found no link between schools’ efforts to tackle obesity and pupils’ weight”, as reported by the BBC. Ms Spielman said it was important to “recognise that schools cannot provide a silver bullet for all societal ills”.

Whilst schools are able to make efforts to help alleviate childhood obesity, the role families play is more vital. Parents must first recognise the signs of weight gain in their children and as a result they will be the first to address an issue. There are a number of ways parents can help to limit weight gain and help children maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are just a few:

• Your health. Be a good role model by setting an example of what a healthy lifestyle looks like.
• Activities. Encourage at least 30 minutes of physical activity – enjoy activities as a family where possible.
• Devices. Limit screen time to less than 2 hours daily and try to avoid exposure to commercials as many ads targeted at children are food & drink related. It is best practice to avoid watching anything whilst eating.
• Meals. Give children child-sized portions of food made up of a mix of vegetables, fiber and no more than 30% fat. Avoid rewarding consumption of main meals with a dessert.
• Snacks. Ensure fruit and water are available and reduce consumption of foods containing high levels of sugar and sodium.

We all must do more. The effects and potential ongoing effects of childhood obesity are putting a strain on our society. Consequently we must all act to help prevent childhood obesity growing into adulthood.