Childhood Obesity

It is estimated that roughly 1.4 million children aged from 2 to 15 years old were classified obese in 2018. Not only is obesity increasing for 10 to 11 year olds, it is increasing even faster for children in deprived areas.

This report by the National Audit Office examines the effectiveness of the government’s approach to reducing childhood obesity in England by considering the evidence base and progress so far.

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      string(439) "... nutritious,free school meals to all children.Schools should provide drinkingfountains/taps.Schools and councils shouldpromote walking and cycling,especially in neighbourhoodswith high levels of childhood andadult obesity.Councils should refuse planningpermission to fast food outletsnear schools.Councils should use taxincentives to increase theavailability of healthy, affordableand culturally appropriate foodin ..."
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      string(3438) "ReportsTale Of Two Obescities:Comparing Responses ToChildhood Obesity In LondonAnd In New YorkIn 2008 and 2009, researchersinterviewed health officials andcity leaders from London and NewYork – to find out which anti-obesity campaigns work.In the last 25 years, childhoodobesity rates in London and NewYork city have more than doubled.Both cities have slowed downthe rate of obesity with councilcampaigns. But as more peoplemove into cities, the researcherswarn, these health issues can onlyget worse – widening socio-ethnichealth inequalities. In the UK, it isestimated that the current costsof obesity will double by 2050 – asobese children are twice as likely tobecome obese adults.But the research fails to findany new ideas – rehashing tiredmessages about healthy schooldinners, access to parks and walk-to-school programmes.When was it published?January 2010, by the CityUniversity of New York and LondonMetropolitan UniversityKey findingsNearly 23% of London’s fouryears olds are obese – rising to36.3% by age eleven.In New York primary schools,40% of kids are obese.In both cities, obesity rates arehigher in boys than in girls.The poorest children have thehighest rates of obesity – andboth cities are characterised byincome inequality.■■■■RecommendationsSchools should offer nutritious,free school meals to all children.Schools should provide drinkingfountains/taps.Schools and councils shouldpromote walking and cycling,especially in neighbourhoodswith high levels of childhood andadult obesity.Councils should refuse planningpermission to fast food outletsnear schools.Councils should use taxincentives to increase theavailability of healthy, affordableand culturally appropriate foodin neighbourhoods where it iscurrently unavailable.Councils should incorporateactive design principles intobuilding codes, housingstrategies, and neighbourhoodplanning.Councils should set nutritionaland environmental standards for■■■■■■■municipal purchase of food inpublic agencies.Councils should promote andsupport urban agriculture.Councils should build moreaccessible and safe parks.Councils should develop andimprove the data systems thatmonitor childhood obesity– so that cities can track andreport citywide. prevalenceand information about social,economic, and geographicdisparities.Councils should documentthe adverse impact of foodmarketing on children anddesign strategies to reduce thisinfluence.Councils should train healthproviders and educators toreduce childhood obesity.Tale Of Two Obescities: ComparingResponses To Childhood ObesityIn London And In New York■■■■■http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/News/documents/Tale%20of%20Two%20ObesCities%20Report.pdfhttp://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/News/documents/Tale%20of%20Two%20ObesCities%20Report.pdfhttp://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/News/documents/Tale%20of%20Two%20ObesCities%20Report.pdfhttp://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/News/documents/Tale%20of%20Two%20ObesCities%20Report.pdfhttp://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/News/documents/Tale%20of%20Two%20ObesCities%20Report.pdfhttp://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/News/documents/Tale%20of%20Two%20ObesCities%20Report.pdfhttp://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/UploadDocs/News/documents/Tale%20of%20Two%20ObesCities%20Report.pdf"
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Special Needs

Childhood Obesity In London And In New York

27 Feb 2010

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      string(699) "In the last 25 years, childhood obesity rates in London and New York City have more than doubled, and childhood obesity rates there are higher than in the United Kingdom and the United States as a whole. This alarming epidemic threatens children’s well-being, imposes an ever-growing financial burden, and widens socio-economic and ethnic inequalities within these cities. This new report by London Metropolitan University and the City University in New York, draws on their findings and presents a cogent strategy for the cities to decelerate the rise of childhood obesity and related inequality in health.
Leadership Briefing Issue 4.10 (46)"
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      string(4804) "ResourceCOMPARING CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN LONDON AND IN NEW YORKOriginal DocumentTale Of Two Obescities: Comparing Responses To Childhood Obesity In London And In New York.  In the last 25 years, childhood obesity rates in London and New York City have more than doubled, and childhood obesity rates there are higher than in the United Kingdom and the United States as a whole. This alarming epidemic threatens children’s well-being, imposes an ever-growing financial burden, and widens socio-economic and ethnic inequalities within these cities. This new report by London Metropolitan University and the City University in New York, draws on their findings and presents a cogent strategy for the cities to decelerate the rise of childhood obesity and related inequality in health.KeywordsChildhood obesity, UK, New York City, financial burden, socio-economic, ethnic inequalitiesSummaryIn the last 25 years, childhood obesity rates in London and New York City have more than doubled, and childhood obesity rates there are higher than in the United Kingdom and the United States as a whole. This alarming epidemic threatens children’s well-being, imposes an ever-growing financial burden, and widens socio-economic and ethnic inequalities within these cities. This new report by London Metropolitan University and the City University in New York, draws on their findings and presents a cogent strategy for the cities to decelerate the rise of childhood obesity and related inequality in health.Among its recommendations is the use of local planning powers to restrict the number of outlets selling unhealthy fast food near schools.Key findings of the report include:· Nearly 23 per cent of London’s four years olds are obese, rising to 36.3 per cent by the age of eleven.· In New York 40 per cent of kids of a similar age are obese.· In both cities obesity rates are higher in boys than in girls.· Poorest children have highest rates of obesity – both cities are characterised by high levels of income inequality. ActionRecommendations:To strengthen the two cities’ response to childhood obesity and to accelerate eforts to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity:Schools· Implement a universal free school meal program with nutritional standards that promote health.· Provide drinking water in schools by improving infrastructure for tap water delivery and bathrooms.Land use and planning· Use zoning authority, land use review and other municipal authority to limit access to fast food and the promotion of unhealthy foods to children.· Use zoning, tax incentives, and city owned property to increase the availability of healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food in neighbourhoods where it is limited.· incorporate active design principles into building codes, housing strategies, and neighbourhood planning.Food· Set standards for municipal purchase of food in public agencies and leverage economies of scale to promote food systems that support economic, environmental, and human health.· Re-define food safety standards to reflect current threats to health and create new ways to use the municipal food safety workforce to promote healthier eating.Parks and green space· Promote and support urban agriculture as a sustainable and health promoting use of green space.· Increase access to and safety of places where people can be physically active.Transportation· Promote walking and cycling, especially in neighbourhoods with high levels of childhood and adult obesity.Research and training· Promote research that helps cities understand how to best address health inequalities and childhood obesity by:· Developing and improving the data systems that monitor childhood obesity so that cities can track and report citywide prevalence as well as information about social, economic, and geographic disparities;· Tracking  the cost and outcomes of municipal policies and programs that address childhood obesity and disseminate this work internationally;· Documenting the adverse impact of food marketing practices on children and designing and evaluating strategies to reduce this influence;· Finding the best ways to prepare health providers, educators and others to reduce childhood obesity; and· Using urban planning as a tool for assessing and changing the built environment to promote health.NotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Imaginative MindsDate CreatedFebruary 2010Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Childhood Obesity In London And In New York

3 Feb 2010

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Leadership Briefing issue 7.03(75)"
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      string(3975) "ResourceCOMBATING CHILDHOOD OBESITYOriginal DocumentCombating Childhood Obesity. This report by Playforce focuses on the practical steps that teaching practitioners can take to combat childhood obesity and the benefits of integrating learning with outdoor activity. The report includes results from a survey of headteachers and early years managers across the UK.  KeywordsChildhood obesity, overweight, exercise, children, school, activities, outdoor learning, parentsSummaryThis report by Playforce focuses on the practical steps that teaching practitioners can take to combat childhood obesity and the benefits of integrating learning with outdoor activity. The report includes results from a survey of headteachers and early years managers across the UK.  The UK faces a large problem, not only with obesity in general, but the much more serious problem of childhood obesity.The method by which weight levels are checked is with the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a ratio between bodily weight and height, with the higher level BMI values equating to being overweight or obese. BMI is slightly more difficult to determine in children due to changing growth patterns with each sex. This means that, in children, BMI is age group and gender specific, unlike adult BMI, which spans different age groups and is more general.The National Child Measurement Programme provides analysis of the prevalence of ‘underweight’, ‘healthy weight’, ‘overweight’, ‘obese’ and ‘combined overweight and obese’ children, in Reception (aged 4–5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10–11 years), measured in state schools in England in the school year 2010/11.Key Findings:· The National Child Measurement Programme 2010/11 report showed that, in Reception, over a fifth (22.6%) of the children measured were either overweight or obese.  In Year 6, this proportion was one in three (33.4%).  The percentage of obese children in Year 6 (19.0%) was over double that of Reception year children (9.4%).  Although there was some fluctuation of data in Reception years, as a general trend, the report also showed a gradual increase in the levels of childhood obesity found in Year 6, when compared to previous reports.· Nearly 40% of education practitioners that responded to the survey were unable to estimate the number of children in their school or setting that are overweight.  11% estimated that none of them are.  With the latest National Child Measurement Programme presenting a national average for obesity of at least 22%, this lack of understanding may contribute to the increased problem that we face.· Fewer than 10% of children walk to school.· 73% of those surveyed stated that their children spend less than 50% of their day outside, engaged in active play or organised activities (including learning).· Almost half the respondents said that current teacher training is to blame, describing it as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ on the subject of ‘getting children active’ and outdoor learning.· 90% of those surveyed felt that the key to lasting success in combating childhood obesity through active learning is to provide better training and information, including practical resources, combined with a more consistent, understandable Government message.· Unsurprisingly, almost all respondents feel that parents are most responsible for children being overweight, with 80% stating that they feel parental attitude presents a barrier to any success achieved during the school day.· 10% cited unfit staff, unwilling to lead by example, as a problem in their school or setting.· Importantly, only 12% of those surveyed said that they consider funding to be a problem.ActionNotesAuthorR ChimaDate CreatedOctober 2012Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk(Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

Combating Childhood Obesity

27 Sep 2012

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      string(3497) "ResourceNATIONAL CHILDHOOD OBESITY DATABASEOriginal DocumentAnalysis of the National Childhood Obesity Database 2005-06. This report for the Department of Health summarises the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst Reception and Year 6 children.KeywordsOverweight, obesity, Reception, Year 6 children, Department of HealthSummaryThis is a report for the Department of Health, written by the South East Public Health Observatory on behalf of the Association of Public Health Observatories. The report summarises the data available and provides high-level analysis of the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst Reception and Year 6 children.Main findings:· The National Childhood Obesity Database (NCOD) is the largest database of its kind in the world, with enormous potential as a tool both for tracking and analysing trends in childhood obesity, and for guiding evidence based interventions to tackle this major public health problem.· The first year of data collection has been hampered by a number of practical difficulties. These have had a significant impact on data quality and seriously limit the reliability of the results for this year, as a result of which many of the figures in this report need to be treated with considerable caution.· There is anecdotal evidence of higher rates of opting out of the measurement process among heavier children, which is supported by the findings of this analysis. This means the figures obtained from the NCOD are likely systematically to underestimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity.· Altogether, 538,400 children in Reception Year and Year 6 were measured – approximately 48% of those eligible.· 80% of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) returned some data on schools in their area, but response rates (the proportion of eligible children who were measured) varied widely across England.· Nationally, of those children measured, 12.3% of girls and 13.4% of boys in Year R were found to be overweight, and 9.2% of boys and 10.7% of girls in the same year group were found to be obese.  In Year 6, 13.8% of boys and girls were overweight, and 15.4% of girls and 18.9% of boys were obese.· The best comparison figures available (from the Health Survey for England) show higher levels of overweight and obesity, although they follow a similar pattern.· Comparing the NCOD results for different areas shows that the higher the response rate, the higher the apparent prevalence of obesity.  This suggests that as response rate increases the estimates from the data more closely approach the true prevalence for that area.· Improving response rates is the most important challenge facing the programme, especially tackling selective opting out by children with high BMIs which will bias the results.· Lessons learned from 2005-06 will improve the systems for 2006-07 and strengthen reporting, data uploading and data analysis.· Analysis of the data strongly suggests that results from the 2005-06 academic year significantly underestimate the prevalence of childhood obesity. It is therefore likely that the more accurate data anticipated in 2006-07 will appear to show an increase in obesity prevalence.ActionNotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Questions PublishingDate CreatedJanuary 2007Enquiries to:rchima@qiis.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

National Childhood Obesity Database 2005-06

24 Jan 2007