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The Puppy Fat Myth and Child Obesity
There have been more reports on the increasing cases of obesity in children recently. On average 1 in 10 children are now obese by the time they start primary school, and it is estimated that by 2050 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of all children in the UK will be obese. Cases of type 2 diabetes is already increasing in children throughout the country. One problem that is thought to be causing the increase in obesity rates is the misconception that many parents have of “puppy fat“, i.e. the beleif that extra fat on young children is healthy, and that they will eventually shed the fat as they grow older. However, with the prevailence of junk food and refined flours and sugars in our diets, “puppy fat” is not lost as children grow up. In almost all cases where children are overweight or obese at a young age, they remain overweight and obese into their teenage years and into adulthood.
By the time obese children reach 12 years old, they can start to show signs of illnesses typically common amongst overweight adults – increased blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol and fats. By their early teens some start to develop type 2 diabetes, which has many serious long term health implication such as blindness, limb amputation and generally takes decades off life expectancy.
Today nearly 25% of all under 5 years olds are either overweight or obese. The causes of obesity vary, but some studies have shown the finished breastfeeding early or consuming a diet high in sugar and refined flours are likely to lead to obesity. Poor diet at an early age can affect the lifetime health and fitness, and we are currently brining up a whole generation which are likely to suffer many of the illnesses associated with the obesity epidemic.
Finally, research has shown that the longer a child remains overweight, the less likely it is that they will ever reach a healthy weight again. We must attempt to avert the forthcoming crisis that is the obesity epidemic, and to do that, parents must realise that overweight children are unhealthy, and will mostly likely have a shorter life expectancy and less fulfilling lives as a result. Junk food, sugar, refined flours and fizzy drinks should be occasional treats, and not the staple foods of school lunch boxes and family dinners. It is never too early to monitor a child’s weight. Every parent should have their little red book from birth, which shows whether a child is overweight, or underweight. Parents need to be encouraged to use these tools that they are given. And parents need to understand that “puppy fat” is a myth, and a fat boy is not a “strong boy”, but a weak and unhealthy boy.
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