Childhood obesity: What can you do?
The government has put together an action plan to tackle obesity in children as current rates are higher than ever.
What's the story?
By 2050, it's predicted that 90% of Britain's children will be overweight. To help stop this frightening statistic from becoming a reality, the Department of Health has launched the Change4Life scheme, targeting childhood obesity.
So what is the scheme?
It's a three year advertising campaign which aims to help families re-address their unhealthy lifestyles and start taking action, before it's too late.
What changes do families need to make?
Change4life outlines eight easy ways to make sure your kids won't become obese. They are:
- Sugar swaps - Excess sugar can lead to stored fat and health problems like diabetes and heart disease. It sounds scary but change is easy. A quarter of added sugar in kids' diets comes from sugary drinks so opt for the sugar free option at the supermarket instead. Do the same for sweet treats and meals. Read the label and go for sugar free.
- Five a day - Use canned and frozen veg along with fruit juice and dried fruit to bump up your kids five-a-day count. Buying fresh fruit and veg every day can be pricey, so go for tinned or frozen - it's just as good. If they're fussy, try blending up veg into a spaghetti sauce or hiding it in a soup. Here are some easy recipes for getting your five-a-day.
- Meal time - Try to have set times to eat your three meals of the day, together when possible. Your kids will be missing out on essential nutrients if they snack and don't eat proper dinners. If they're eating three good meals a day, they shouldn't need to snack but if they really get hungry, you could try limiting them to two snacks per day.
- Up and about - Kids should be active for at least 60 minutes a day. Limit their time lying on their bed playing computer games or vegging out in front of the TV. They might moan but you'll be helping to protect them from diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
- Cut back fat - Fat is often hidden in meals we buy or cook so always read the label and compare it to other products on the shelves - is there a lower fat option to go for? Try to grill things, rather than fry them and cut off excess fat from meat such as bacon. You should also try to cut back on snack foods with high-fat content like cakes and crisps.
- Me sized meals - Don't give your kids the same amount of food as you have, they don't need it. Yes, they're growing but by eating more than they need, the body will just turn it into fat. Give them kid-sized portions and then if they're really hungry once they've cleaned their plate, then consider giving them seconds.
- Snack check - We all snack more than we realise so try and keep tabs on how many extras your kids are eating. Some families find setting a limit works - like '2 snax max', others might like to keep a chart of who's had what.
- 60 active minutes - Kids need at least this much exercise every day to help them stay happy and healthy. But it doesn't have to be sport - running around and having fun outside helps too. The 60 minutes can be split up throughout the day, just make sure that all together they clock up that much exercise.
What are the experts saying?
Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: 'The extent of the obesity problem needs a new approach that hasn't been tried before. We want families to engage with the campaign and understand that obesity is not someone else's problem - it's all of our problem.'
How can I find out more?
Watch the video below or visit the Change4Life website.
Where to next?
- More information on childhood obesity
- Easy ways to five-a-day
- Healthy kids' lunchboxes
- Get fit with the family
- Healthy eating for your baby
- Tempting food for small children
By Charlotte Gunn
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Becca Gumble, 11 months
As a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes, i am horrified that the government's new campaign "Change4life" to curb obesity in children does not specify that obesity may trigger type 2 diabetes - it just uses the word diabetes which covers many types of the disease most of then unpreventable. The NHS are running this campaign so why can they not be specific ? As a result of the adverts failure to state that type 2 diabetes may be triggered when referring to obesity related disease it leaves all children with type 1 diabetes and many thousands of other diabetics including adult type 1's open to public ignorance causing them to be the subject of taunts in the playground/ workplace and much further embarrassment. I have tried to explain to my 6 year old that she didn't get type 1 because of poor eating, couch potato lifestyle - as suggested in the advert. I have also had to prepare her for comments from school friends and potential bullying she may suffer because of the ill informed advert which doesn't correctly explain the facts. This advert will undoubtedly cause massive confusion within the community and prejudice towards children and adults with all types of unpreventable diabetes. I do not want my child and others growing up in a misinformed society that she has this life threatening disease because it's her own fault and she could have done something to prevent it. Furthermore, to add references about type 1 diabetes to an advert which is about obesity is extremely misleading and damages the efforts to raise money into the research and treatment and a possible cure for type 1 diabetes. Please see our facebook page that has been set up:"I am OUTRAGED at the Change4life campaign" http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=7218&post=34852&uid=43506195749#/group.php?gid=43506195749 and sign the online petition: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/change4life/. For further information please see JDRF UK website or http://www.childrenwithdiabetesuk.org/ on type 1 diabetes
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Aileen, 11 months
The Change4life campaign includes: A series of adverts will feature children saying they will die early of heart disease or diabetes because of their parents' actions. I can't understand why the government and its advisors can make such a massive blunder. Not only to falsely mislead the general public, by telling them an unhealthy lifestyle causes diabetes, but by not considering the feelings of our approx 3 million diagnosed with diabetes in the UK. There is no doubt, the older and younger generations, will be the ones left to suffer most. Older diabetics now feeling they are on borrowed time and the young ones, being teased, taunted and bullied for having a lifelong condition "caused" by their parents. The message from the campaign change4life is being shouted loudly and clearly all over the media at present. It's costing the government £75 million, for our children to be reminded "diabetics" have a shortened life expectancy. Since when did the 20,000 Type 1 diabetic children in the UK get diabetes because their parents didn't look after them properly? Money could be better spent on improving their quality of life, reducing (maybe even avoiding) the risk of future complications and making life a "little" more normal. The UK lag way behind Europe and the USA in using the best available treatment for Insulin Dependent Diabetics, Insulin Pump Therapy. Why not spend the money in research to find a cure, for this lifelong condition??? We have 20,000 children and over 300,000 Type 1 adults the majority take multiple daily insulin injections, which is their life support. I expect this 75 million pounds being spend on this campaign, will have a similar effect to "stop smoking" campaigns or Aids awareness campaigns. A few will take notice, and change their way of life, but will it be worth the 75 million spent? Most of us know we should have a healthy lifestyle, stop smoking and are aware of precautions needed to stop the spread of aids. In reality how much difference has our awareness made? I'm really sad the government won't consider our children, and all other diabetics in the UK.
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