Anti-obesity campaign attacks adverts eroding self-esteem

A STRATEGY to tackle childhood obesity in one of Yorkshire’s most affluent cities claims a constant barrage of advertisements and publicity campaigns is undermining youngsters’ self-esteem.

A stream of advertisements promoting a host of products ranging from fast food to beauty and fashion has been identified as contributing to the soaring problems of obesity in the younger generations.

The desire of children and teenagers to adhere to stereotypes involving often waif-like models portrayed in the publicity drives has undermined their self-confidence and led them to seek solace in over-eating, the review of obesity in York says.

The study was launched after concerns over the scale of the problem in the city were raised by Coun Sue Galloway, who is a member of York Council’s childhood obesity task group.

A report which will be considered by the task group on Monday next week has identified a series of factors contributing to obesity, including youngsters being targeted by repeated advertising on the television, radio and the internet as well as in magazines and newspapers.

Coun Galloway said: “Children’s self-esteem is very easily eroded, especially if they are a little insecure in the first place. We need to give people more options to help deal with the problems of obesity – any success will not be brought about by hectoring.

“People need to be encouraged to adopt a healthier lifestyle and diet. The issue of childhood obesity will only be tackled effectively by promoting a better diet and more exercise.”

The Yorkshire Post revealed in November last year that the task group was to be launched amid warnings that childhood obesity levels were soaring in a generation raised on fast food and ready meals.

Plans for an in-depth review were drawn up in York to tackle obesity in the city’s younger generation amid growing concerns over the scale of the problem.

National surveys show that 35 per cent of children aged between 11 and 15 are overweight and it is estimated that two-thirds of youngsters will be overweight or obese by 2050.

In York, 14.5 per cent of children of school reception age are overweight, compared to a national average of 13 per cent.

Coun Galloway called for the review into childhood obesity in York to ensure existing resources were being used effectively to tackle the problem and whether more needed to be done.

She previously warned that a boom in the popularity of convenience foods during the 1970s and 1980s was leaving a legacy of obesity as parents passed on their poor eating habits to their children.

The review has already identified a need to encourage parents to adopt simple changes to their daily routines, such as walking their children to school instead of taking their car.

Studies are being undertaken on the quality of meals on offer in the city’s nurseries, and to establish if more locally sourced and organic food can be used.

Efforts already under way in York to combat childhood obesity include the Healthy Weight, Active Lives partnership.

Food awareness workshops are being run by York Council for 2,000 city children and their families to raise awareness of the nutritional value of different foods.

It emerged last year that the problems with obesity have escalated to such an extent in North Yorkshire that a new strategy had been drawn up to help the fattest youngsters.

Health chiefs warned that an annual 186m bill of dealing with obesity in North Yorkshire is expected to increase further to 193m this year before reaching 207m in 2015.

Concerns have also been expressed that indulgent parents are putting the future health of their children in jeopardy.

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