Child obesity: Is it out of control?
Child obesity has increased sharply in the last few years and the problems are getting worse. But one professor thinks special fat camps could sort our kids out...
What's all the fuss about?
Quite simply, kids are getting fatter than ever and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
How many are we talking about?
There are currently around 4.5 million kids in the UK who are either overweight or obese and that number's increasing.
So why is child obesity getting worse?
There are two main reasons, according to Professor Paul Gately, director of Carnegie Weight Management at Leeds Metropolitan University.
- Kids don't do enough exercise
- Parents don't know enough about diet
Tell me more
'Parents are confused by food,' says Professor Gately. 'They are unable to read food labels properly simply because they haven't been shown how to.'
So what should parents know?
'The only thing they need to worry about is calories,' explains Professor Gately. 'If we eat too much and exercise too little, we become overweight.'
And parents shouldn't assume their child has a genetic condition or has a slow metabolism. 'Parents are in denial about the real cause of the problem - that they are to blame.'
What can be done to help obese children?
Professor Gately has set up Britain's first weight loss camp for children under 8, having already tried it out on teenagers with great success.
Does the weight loss camp work?
Early results are positive. The children who took part lost significant amounts of weight and also reduced their levels of bad cholesterol.
How do I find out more?
Too Fat To Toddle is being shown on ITV1 at 9pm on Tuesday 6 May and you can go to Professor Gately's website to find out more about the weight loss camps - Carnegie Weight Management- Read last weeks' big issue: Diabetes - is it making people depressed?
More help and advice
- Facts about child obesity
- More help on tackling obesity in kids
- Help and advice to cope with fussy eaters
- What's in your food? Read our simple guide
- Get the facts on cholesterol
- Check how much of your kid's body is fat
- Fun ways to get fit as a family
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