Child Obesity Rates Forecasted to Drop

Child obesity is something that has plagues our screens, magazines for over a decade now- TV chefs have even made entire series upon the subject. And now, much like the economy and the Dow Jones index, rates are forecasted to slip southwards…

So it may come as a surprise to many that a recent report has revealed that –shock horror and a pound of fat- the 30 year old rise in child poverty has peaked.  Since the mid 1970s the size of Britain’s young has just kept increasing- until now. Figures based on a 2007 health study reveal that, in fact, this increase in overweight and obese kiddywinkles is no longer creeping up but actually on a downward course.

It might not be music to the ears of your local chippie but its great news for organisations like the NHS, who have suffered under the weight (no pun intended) of the health related problems that come with obesity.

The forecast of the numbers of overweight girls aged two to 11 in 2020 has dropped from 34% to 17%, while boys are forecasted at a decrease from 22% to 17%. Teens will be feeling slinkier too, as the forecast among obese 12-19 year olds in 2020 will be down 30%

Factors such as traffic-light food labelling, the Sure Start scheme, improved breast feeding rates and education on the subject have all been attributed to the downward trajectory. Let’s hope the trend continues.