A new study on children’s health claims that 12.5 per cent of UK toddlers are obese, and that the long-term cost of childhood obesity could be as high as £700 million each year.
The report, headed by the Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Health, also showed that 17 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls up to the age of 15 are obese.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said more needs to be done to improve UK children’s health, and that acting early will save taxpayers’ money.
She said: “This report questions whether we have got the balance right in our society and should act as a wake-up call. The evidence is crystal clear and the opportunity is huge – investing in children is a certain way of improving the economic health of our nation, as well as our children’s well-being.We need a renewed focus on children.”
The news follows a talk at the National Fruit Show which said that the horticultural industry needs to be closer to medical studies on healthy eating.
John Price, master of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers and a retired paediatrician, believes that there is a need to find a sustainable customer base for fresh produce as well as improving the health of the nation. He said: “Broadly speaking, the 5-a-day campaign has not been successful. What we need to do is engage children.”
Price said that each one per cent increase in the number of UK children reaching the 5-a-day target would translate into a £0.5 million boost for the horticultural industry.
Professor Davies’ report said reducing childhood obesity by one percentage point could save £1 billion a year as children would be less likely to end up with long-term health problems needing NHS treatment.
President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Dr Hilary Cass, said: “Investing in children is not only an investment in today’s young people; it’s a sound investment for the future. Healthy children are much more likely to become healthy adults.”
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