City's affluent parents 'failing to heed risks of childhood obesity'

MIDDLE-class parents in one of Yorkshire’s most affluent cities are jeopardising the health of their children by failing to heed the dangers of obesity, a council leader has warned.

A year-long study into the causes of childhood obesity in York has found that a lack of exercise, a growing reliance on car travel and the surge in popularity of computer games as young people sit glued to TVs rather than playing outside have all contributed to the problems.

While poor diets and social deprivation have been blamed for childhood obesity in the past, there is growing evidence to suggest that more affluent lifestyles can also have a significant impact on obesity levels.

York Council leader Andrew Waller has stressed that obesity affects “all sections of society” and admitted that many families in the city may be misguidedly under the impression that their children will not be blighted by weight problems.

He said: “Many people are more aware today than they were a few years ago of the dangers of a more sedentary lifestyle, where there is a lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet leading to weight issues.

“However, it is a long-term issue and there is no quick solution. Many people, often in middle class families, do not realise the damage that is being done. Obesity affects all sections of society and it is not an easy thing for many parents to acknowledge.

“There are a whole host of reasons for childhood obesity, but it is something that will cause long-term health problems into adult life if we do not tackle it now.”

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

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

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.

However, Coun Waller claimed efforts already under way in York to combat childhood obesity, including the Healthy Weight, Active Lives partnership, are beginning to see successes.

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

A review of the problems of childhood obesity in York was launched after the issue was raised by Coun Sue Galloway in July last year to ensure existing resources were being used effectively to tackle the problem and whether more needed to be done.

Coun Galloway, who is now the Lord Mayor of York, 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 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 have also been 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.

A final report is due to be considered by the council’s executive on Tuesday next week.

The report has called for schools to review their physical education classes to make sure that teachers are maximising the time available for exercise.

It has also highlighted a need for the primary care trust, NHS North Yorkshire and York, to ensure school nurses highlight childhood obesity programmes.

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