The fattening of a generation

Photograph from the ABC

A confronting question from Sydney University's Dr Michael Booth, the state's top expert on childhood obesity, asks whether the greatest child abuse of our time will be the fattening of a generation?

Unless you've been under a rock, you can't help but be aware of the increasing rates of obesity in children and the potential costs in terms of increased rates of type-2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteo-arthritis. With 25% of Australian school-age children overweight or obese, the implications are enormous.

Dr. Booth says although there other issues to be taken into consideration, a diet of junk food could easily be considered a form of abuse.

"It is actually doing their life's chances very great harm. Failing to provide adequate nourishment to your children is a form of abuse, like failing to provide adequate shelter or education or sleep or safety."

Dr. Booth attributes this to parents being in denial about the effects of junk food, to laziness, to time-poor parenting, where it's often about getting food on a plate quickly rather than nutritional content.

The results of a new study by Dr. Booth are frightening, showing obesity begins to cause disease when Australians are still in their teens. Blood samples were taken from 500 Sydney year 10 students to assess risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and whether fatty liver disease was present.

15% had elevated insulin levels, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.
10% of boys and 5% of girls had liver damage.
20% of boys had high blood pressure.

Importantly, the study showed that while children were actually increasing their amount of physical exercise, they were eating more junk food.

Earlier this year, the 10th International Congress on Obesity was held in Sydney. Dr William H. Dietz, director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the United States-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke about the worldwide problem of childhood obesity.

"Childhood obesity now constitutes a major threat to the health and welfare of populations worldwide. Sixty per cent of overweight five- to 10-year-old children have at least one additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and 25 per cent have two or more. Recent data suggest that 15 per cent of adolescents who develop Type 2 diabetes will have end-stage renal disease in 15 years."

Dietz outlined strategies the CDC have found to be useful including physical activity, reduced television viewing, breastfeeding, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, reduced sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, and reduced portion size.

Two approaches, largely based on common-sense practices, that address some of these strategies were also highlighted:

Weightwatchers' Healthy Parent Healthy Child

Weightwatchers is one of the best known weight-loss services but it's not as simple as rolling out the program to children. Research conducted in Sweden concluded that the adult-based program was not suitable. Therefore, Weightwatchers joined forces with pediatricians in the US to put together this pilot program, which puts the Weightwatchers program into a family setting. The basis of the program is setting up a healthy-weight home, a home where everyone who lives there has a lifestyle that encourages them to be at a weight that is right and healthy for them.

The program is based on five simple rules:

1) A focus on wholesome, nutritious foods.

2) Inclusion of treats.

3) A limit on non-homework screen time to two hours (or less) per day.
4) Increased activity - an hour or more per day.

5) The rules apply to everyone in the home.

While the program is not presently available in Australia, Weightwatchers hopes to roll it out within the next year. However, the book of the program is available.

The Mend Program

A healthy Mind, sufficient Exercise, good Nutrition and a balanced Diet. Developed by Dr Paul Chadwick and pediatric nutrition consultant Paul Sacher, the community-run program has had great success in Britain where it is running at 24 sites around the country. Sacher is also the author of From Kid to Superkid, a book which outlines the principles behind the MEND program.

"The key to MEND's success is its integrated approach, combining all the elements the medical community knows to be vital in preventing and treating obesity: family involvement, increasing physical activity and reducing inactivity, dietary education and behavioural modification. The challenge for us is how quickly we can bring MEND to Australia."

Paul Sacher

Resources
Child obesity frightening
Obese kids are headed for heart attacks