Comment: Video games and cheap food are making our kids obese
Video games, fatty foods and parent’s fear of allowing their children to walk to school are creating an obesity epidemic.
By Mary Macleod
Last week I initiated a debate on childhood obesity in Westminster Hall. The childhood obesity statistics in this country are really alarming, with almost one in three children aged two to fifteen being classified as either overweight or obese. The problem is even more acute in urban areas. My constituency is in the London Borough of Hounslow where more than 40% of pupils are either overweight or obese by the age of 10 or 11 in Year 6.
Obese children typically go on to become obese adults and face the possibility of a whole raft of health issues including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. These health risks and the consequent cost to the NHS, mean that it is our duty to do all we can to help people eat more healthily and take more exercise.
Holding this debate now is timely, following the publication of two London-focused reports, one from the Greater London Authority Intelligence Unit and one from the London Assembly that look in detail at this issue. The government is also due to publish a paper on obesity later this year.
There is no doubt that the world has changed significantly in recent years and this has exacerbated the problem. The increase in television and computer games, the prevalence of ultra-cheap, high fat and sugar foods and drinks often marketed at children, increasing fears of parents to allow their children to walk to school or play out on the streets or parks, all play a part.
Parents and indeed children too need simple-to-understand, clear labelling of products so they can make informed decisions on what they eat. I hope that the food and drinks industry, as part of the government’s public health responsibility deal, will continue to work progressively on improving labelling and reducing the salt, fat and sugar content of the foods it provides, particularly those targeted at children.
Evidence has shown that the issue of childhood obesity is intrinsically linked with that of poverty and this has been reflected in trends worldwide. Obesity is no longer just an issue for developed nations as countries across the world battle with the double issue of malnutrition and obesity.
It’s not enough therefore to tackle this issue simply with mass communication campaigns telling us all how to eat and live more healthily. We need to have a joined-up approach that addresses planning, welfare reform, education, business, sport and health. The minister for public health, Anne Milton, stressed this during the debate and also called for every part of society to get involved, including businesses, social enterprises and third sector organisations.
I am a fellow of Mend, a social enterprise working across the country to implement child weight management programmes. Mend stands for Mind, Exercise, Nutrition and Do it! which sums up very well the approach they take, covering each of these important aspects. The Mend programme works with the whole family to ensure that changes are made to the weekly shop and family activities. It focuses on helping people to understand more about what they are eating and the exercise they are doing so they can make more informed decisions in the future.
As we look forward to the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games, my biggest hope is that we can use this exciting event to ensure a lasting benefits right across the country. What better legacy could we have than a whole generation of young people enthused about sport, taking more of an interest in healthy eating and living, creating a better lifestyle and a more positive future?
Mary Macleod is Conservative MPs for Brentford and Isleworth and parliamentary private secretary to Nick Herbert, the minister of state for policing and criminal justice.
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