Pupils ‘should be weighed every year’ to tackle obesity crisis

Pupils ‘should be WEIGHED at school every year’ to help tackle Britain’s obesity crisis, say leading paediatricians

  • England is lagging behind other European countries, say child health experts 
  • Growing levels of obesity show danger is on the horizon for the next generation
  • Officials are being urged to introduce health checks for all school children 

Children should be weighed every year at school under radical proposals to reduce obesity, say leading paediatricians.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says pupils’ health in England is lagging behind other European countries and risks getting worse by 2030.

Growing levels of obesity, mental health issues and rising infant mortality rates show there is ‘danger on the horizon’ for the next generation, it warns.

The RCPCH is urging officials to introduce annual health checks for all children to look for warning signs of problems as part of a raft of recommendations aimed at improving young health.

Children should be weighed every year at school under radical proposals to reduce obesity, say leading paediatricians

It says the current national measurement programme of primary school children should also include teenagers.

RCPCH president Professor Russell Viner, who wrote the report, said further investment in health visitors and school nursing services was vital to address the growing disparities with our European neighbours. He said: ‘Trends shown here are not inevitable. Each of them could be turned around if key actions are undertaken.’


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Doctors used long-term historical data to project outcomes for children and young people’s health in 2030 in comparison to 15 countries in the EU plus Canada and Australia.

While England was found to rank average in areas such as premature births, it had some of the worst outcomes for a range of health problems.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says pupils’ health in England is lagging behind other European countries and risks getting worse by 2030

Rates of smoking during pregnancy in the UK remain higher than in many other countries, at about 23 per cent, compared to less than 10 per cent in Portugal and Luxembourg.

Breastfeeding is known to boost a baby’s immune system from the start. But while more than eight in 10 women try breastfeeding in the UK, just 0.5 per cent are still doing so at 12 months – the highest drop-off rate in Europe.

Infant mortality rates also rose in England and Wales in 2015 and 2016 for the first time in a century, with experts suggesting smoking and obesity could be to blame.

If the current ‘stall’ continues, experts warn infant mortality will be 140 per cent higher than other comparable countries by 2030.

The number of deaths in children from common respiratory infections and meningitis are higher nationwide than elsewhere. Deaths from long-term conditions, including asthma and epilepsy, also seem higher in England.

And growing numbers of children are reporting mental health problems with forecasts this could rise by 63 per cent within 12 years, with the NHS ill-equipped to cope.

A&E attendances among children and young people could rise by half if trends continue.

The report calls on health officials to expand children’s health services across the board as part of the ten-year plan, due out imminently. The Government childhood obesity plan must be implemented fully, it says, with children given greater access to specialist weight management services.

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said there was currently very little done to track the progress of an individual child. He said: ‘The RCPCH is right to recommend annual measurements for every UK child.

‘Monitoring height and weight from age two onwards is vital to pick up as early as practicable the first signs of obesity.’

Maria Trewern, from the Royal College of Nursing, said: ‘This report paints a bleak picture for children and young people if we do not act now to improve their health and wellbeing.

‘RCPCH is right to highlight the important role of health visitors and school nurses in ensuring children have a healthy start to life.

‘They are the frontline defence against childhood obesity and poor child mental health, but all too often nurses report they are understaffed, which means time with the children is rushed.’

Nigel Edwards, chief executive of health think tank the Nuffield Trust, said: ‘Today’s warnings from the RCPCH should set alarm bells ringing for anyone who cares about the future of some of the youngest and most vulnerable members of society.’

The report comes days after official figures show that more than a third – 197,888 – of children in England leave primary school overweight or obese.

 

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