Parents must tackle childhood obesity as a family

The reporting of the so-called “levelling off” in the rate of obesity in Irish children may have caused serious damage.

Recent media coverage of a study revealed the alarming rate of obesity in kids here has hit a plateau, but what the press failed to sufficiently highlight was that the current plateau is at an unacceptably high level.

Researchers in University College Cork (UCC) and University College Dublin (UCD), who conducted the study, found that up to one in 50 of primary school children are morbidly obese, and there was no significant change in the rate over the decade.

The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity in children varied from 20% to 34%.

The studies also found that, on average, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher in girls than in boys.

But who or what is to blame for such a crisis?

Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little.

Some parents claim genetics plays a factor in determining their children’s weight, but unless your child has one of the rare genetic conditions that can cause obesity, such a claim is pretty much irrelevant.

It may be true that certain genetic traits inherited from your parents may make losing weight more difficult, but it certainly doesn’t make it impossible.

In many cases, obesity is more to do with poor eating habits and a lack of physical exercise.

If you consume high amounts of energy from your diet but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surplus energy is then stored by the body as fat.

Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start children on the path to a vast array health problems later on in life such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression.

One of the best strategies to reduce childhood obesity is to improve the diet and exercise habits of your entire family.

Parents should lead by example by taking simple steps to tackle the issue. Why not reduce the amount of time you spend watching television and go for a family walk instead.

Cutting out fast-food takeaways and getting the kids to help you cook a healthy meal is another simple measure.

Remember, treating or preventing childhood obesity now helps protect the health of your child in the future.