Childhood Obesity in the UK: Trends, Causes, and Policy Interventions

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INCREASED CHILDHOOD OBESITY
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
BODY.....................................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
In this assignment, we will discuss the ‘Increased Childhood Obesity’ in detail. There are various
factors associated with increased childhood obesity such as lack of physical activity, unhealthier diet
and some medical condition. However, this could be prevented by taking various measures. The UK
government has made various strategies and policies in order to reduce the prevalence of childhood
obesity. The trend of childhood obesity had changed over time. We will discuss policies currently
working in the UK for reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity and also critically evaluate its
effectiveness.
BODY
A social trend is any type of activity or action that is performed by the society as a whole. Trends can
be short-lived or long-lasting (Karnik and Kanekar, 2012). Childhood obesity has widespread in
developing as well as developed countries and has a significant impact on both psychological and
physical health. Obesity is more likely to develop non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular
diseases and diabetes at a younger age (Karnik and Kanekar, 2012). The obesity mechanism is not
fully understood but it can be due to multiple causes such as cultural factors, environmental factors
and lifestyle preferences (Karnik and Kanekar, 2012). Overweight and obesity are the results of an
increase in fat and caloric intake. Excessive sugar intake, the decline in physical exercise, increase
portion size are playing a major role in raising the prevalence of obesity among children.
Researches reveal that the trend of childhood obesity in the UK between 1994 and 2003 increased
by 8.1 per cent per year whereas, in the period between 2004 and 2013, the childhood obesity
increased by 0.4 per cent (Smith and Smith, 2016). The trend was similar for girls and boys but varies
by age group (Smith and Smith, 2016). Understanding trends in childhood obesity are not only aimed
at monitoring the health of the population but also focus on informing policy inventiveness. Health
Survey of England and Health and Social Care Information Center 2013 has stabilized the data of
prevalence of childhood obesity in the UK (Smith and Smith, 2016).
In the UK, around 28 per cent of children of age group 2 to 15 year is overweight or obese ( Wilkie et
al., 2016). Obesity prevelance is mostly influenced by demographic area and distribution. In the year
2016-17, 617000 people were admitted to the NHS hospital due to obesity (Wilkie et al., 2016). 26
per cent of an adult in 2016 were classified as obese (Wilkie et al., 2016). Between the period 2006
to 2016, the prevalence of childhood obesity has changed little (Wilkie et al., 2016). The rate of
obesity increased from 23.9 per cent to 26.2 per cent between 2006 to 2016 (Wilkie et al., 2016). In
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1993, the prevalence of obesity change from 15 per cent to 26 per cent ( Wilkie et al., 2016). Around
9.6 per cent of children of the age group 4 to 5 year are obese with an additional 13 per cent are
overweight (Wilkie et al., 2016). The prevalence is higher in the age group of 6 to 7 year, 14.3 per
cent are overweight and 20 per cent are obese (Conrad and Capewell, 2012). In same age group, the
prevalence of obesity is generally higher in girls as compared to boys ( Conrad and Capewell, 2012).
In the age group of 4 to 5 year, 6.6 per cent of children living in the least deprived area are obese as
compared to children with the most deprived area (Conrad and Capewell, 2012). The rate of obesity
is twice in children living in the most deprived areas. The gap in obesity between the least and most
deprived area has increased in the last 10 years (Conrad and Capewell, 2012). In the age of 10 to 11
years, the prevalence of obesity among most deprived area has increased by almost 5 per cent but it
remains unchanged in the least deprived places (Conrad and Capewell, 2012).
In the US, around 15.5 per cent of children aged 2 to 19 year are obese ( Ogden et al., 2014). 11 per
cent of boys are suffering from obesity in the year 2000, 16 per cent in the year 2008 and it is
estimated to be around 27 per cent in the year 2020 (Ogden et al., 2014). Among the girls, the rate is
around 14 per cent in the year 2000, 16 per cent in the year 2008 and it is estimated at around 22
per cent in the year 2020 (Ogden et al., 2014). Mexican American boys have a high prevalence of
obesity than non-Hispanic black and white counterparts (Ogden et al., 2014). African American girls
of age group 6 to 19 have an increased rate of obesity than Mexican American and Hispanic white
counterpart (Ogden et al., 2014). Non-Hispanic white boys and non-Hispanic African American girls
with higher education have a low prevalence of obesity than those with lower education ( Ogden et
al., 2014). There is a link between socioeconomic status and obesity prevalence (Ogden et al., 2014).
People with high income are usually less obese as compare to the lower income group ( Ogden et al.,
2014). The rate of caloric consumption among American has increased in the last 30 years (Ogden et
al., 2014).
Why a lot of children are obese?
Childhood obesity is caused by taking too many calories and not performing physical activities. If
children are consuming a high amount of sugar and fats and do not burn these energy through
physical exercise, this surplus energy gets stored as fat in the body. The average men needs around
2500 calories per day and women needs around 2000 calories to maintain a healthy weight ( Ells et
al., 2015). Nowadays people are consuming high calories diet which ends up in accumulating body
fat and results in obesity. Obesity gradually develops over time. It may be due to poor diet and
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lifestyle choice. Children consuming sugary drinks and fast food are at higher risk to develop obesity
and become overweight (Van Jaarsveld and Gulliford, 2015). Children with low self-esteem may eat
more to feel better.
Lack of physical exercise is another big concern related to overweight and obesity among children. In
a contemporary world, children are spending their time watching television, playing video games
and social media and not performing any physical activity which leads to develop obesity. Some of
the genetic condition may predispose to obesity in children (Knai et al., 2012). Prader-Willi syndrome
leads to excessive appetite which can lead to weight gain. There are certain genes that are inherited
from the parents which may lead to large appetite and it leads to difficulty in losing weight.
However, it does not make it impossible to reduce weight (Ma et al., 2016). There are various
medical reasons which may lead to overweight and obesity in children such as underactive thyroid
glands (hypothyroidism) and Cushing’s syndrome. Certain medicine such as corticosteroids used in
diabetes and epilepsy, antidepressants used to treat mental illness can lead to weight gain (Young
and Nestle, 2012). In some cases, it has been noticed that weight gain can also be due to the side
effect of stopping smoking.
In the year 2008 and 2011, two government strategies have made a range of action in order to
prevent childhood obesity to fill perceived gaps (Young and Nestle, 2012). Broad range of policies
are put in places such as “promote and support breastfeeding”, nutritional standards in schools,
improve sugar content in the drink and foods, boost up participation in sports, weight management
scheme and active travel plans (Young and Nestle, 2012). Childhood obesity may persist into
adulthood where it is connected to serious health disorder such as diabetes, cancer, stroke and
cardiovascular disease. Hence to prevent short and long term health disorder, early health
intervention to prevent obesity should be carried out. Obesity Health Alliance estimates that
overweight and obesity could contribute to around 7.6 million cases of the disease (Young and
Nestle, 2012). The British Dietetic Association (BDA) support government’s current strategy to
reduce childhood obesity (McKenzie et al., 2012). The strategy includes reducing the intake of sugar
such as to guide the beverage industry for the production of soft drinks with low sugar content. This
action is highly needed in order to decrease the prevalence of childhood obesity. Royal College of
Pediatrics and Child Health, Public Health England and Common Health Select Committee has
proposed various action to prevent childhood obesity in the UK (Young and Nestle, 2012). The BDA
has strongly made various strategies in order to prevent childhood obesity in the UK. Some are
Support and promote breastfeeding as it is related to various health benefits to newborn and
mother. Various evidence shows that breastfeeding has a protective effect on the risk of
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cardiovascular disease and obesity in later life (McKenzie et al., 2012). The government's childhood
obesity strategy strongly promote and encourage breastfeeding. It includes education and training of
all health care professional as well as mothers.
Promotion, advertising and marking of unhealthier drink and food such as highly processed foods is
done in order to educate the people to choose the healthier option (McKenzie et al., 2012).
Continuing association with the food and sugar industry to reduce the amount of sugar and calories
in the food and drink without altering the amount of saturated fat and salt levels ( McKenzie et al.,
2012).
Promote physical activities among the children is highly recommend in the school to promote
various activities and exercise so that children could take part in various physical exercise ( McKenzie
et al., 2012).
All these measures strongly reduce the impact of childhood obesity in the UK. BDA is only the first
step that supports the childhood obesity strategy (Young and Nestle, 2012). The government of the
UK needs to make a more robust strategy for childhood obesity in order to tackle excess weight of
child and building on Healthy Lives. The various health care professionals are used to deliver,
supervise and support the element of the strategy. Overweight mother is more likely to deliver
overweight infants for a variety of reasons and hence intervention should be made earlier ( Young
and Nestle, 2012). This includes improving diet during pregnancy which can be very beneficial for
both the child as well as the mother. Various research shows that excess weight is gained before the
age of 5 years and this is mostly contributing to obesity in later life ( Young and Nestle, 2012). The
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made guidelines on how strategies such as
these can be custom made and how it can be used to target preschool children (Young and Nestle,
2012).
Obesity as a policy priority
The Conservative Government in the year 1991 formally identifies that obesity was a threat to
health. A target has been set in order to reduce the rate of obesity among children to 7 per cent by
2005 (Wolfe et al., 2013). The aim of these strategies to improve the health of the public and
produced task forces in order to promote physical exercise and healthy eating. This recommendation
was observed by the health care professional in the field but these recommendations have not been
adopted by the public (Wolfe et al., 2013). Childhood obesity did not consider in the political
programme until 1999, the UK government has made labour strategy saving Lives: Our Healthier
Nation (Modi et al., 2013). Although at the end of 2001, few policies emerged. The National Audit
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Office is one of them which state that obesity has trebled in the UK in the previous 20 years,
however, it was described as inadequate and patchy (Modi et al., 2013). The UK government
preliminary focus on children and the policies should be made according to the need of the
individual. The Department of Health has made various strategies for a specific diet plan and physical
activity. The Foresight programme was developed by a chief scientific advisor that aims to develop a
workable solution to reduce childhood obesity over the next 40 years (Kuosa, 2016). In 2007, this
report revealed that obesity is a multi-complex problem and it may lead to more serious
complication if a coordinated and comprehensive approach is not taken. In November 2011, the
New Call to Action on Obesity was launched in order to change the behaviour of the individual to
adopt a healthy lifestyle (Young and Nestle, 2012). They stressed on overconsumption of unhealthy
food that leads to obesity among children. The Healthy Child Programme was initiated by the UK
government which focuses on preventing obesity among children by providing a varied programme
of immunization, screening, the advice of health and wellbeing and universal preventing services
(Axford et al., 2015).
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CONCLUSION
In this report, we have discussed the increasing trend of childhood obesity. Obesity is one of the
most common causes of increase risk of serious health disorder such as diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. One in every three children is obese in the United Kingdom (Wilkie et al., 2016). Increasing
portion size, excessive sugar intake and decline in physical activities are the most common cause of
the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. However, it can be prevented by taking various
interventions. The British Dietetic Association has made a strategy to prevent childhood obesity
(McKenzie et al., 2012). Various governmental and non-governmental policies take initiative to
reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity in the UK. However these policies have reduced the
prevalence of childhood obesity and the trends of obesity had changed over time.
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