Childhood obesity has reached
alarming rates globally and has become an “exploding nightmare” in the
developing world, including in Africa, where the number of obese children has
nearly doubled since 1990, a WHO commission said Monday. The authors of the report
from the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity stressed that the epidemic has
historically not been treated as a grave public health issue and was regarded
by some as a product of lifestyle choices by individuals and families. But
following two years of research in more than 100 countries, the authors
underscored that governments and global public health bodies were central to
reversing the scourge. Childhood obesity has reached alarming rates globally
and has become an “exploding nightmare” in the developing world, including in
Africa, where the number of obese children has nearly doubled since 1990, a WHO
commission said Monday. The authors of the report from the Commission on Ending
Childhood Obesity stressed that the epidemic has historically not been treated
as a grave public health issue and was regarded by some as a product of
lifestyle choices by individuals and families. But following two years of
research in more than 100 countries, the authors underscored that governments
and global public health bodies were central to reversing the scourge. “What’s
the big message? It’s not the kid’s fault,” commission co-chair Peter Gluckman
told reporters. Biological factors, inadequate access to healthy foods, a
decline in physical activity in schools and the unregulated marketing of
fattening foods are among the drivers of a worsening epidemic that requires a
coordinated global response, the report said.
If not reversed, “the obesity
epidemic has the potential to negate many of the health benefits that have
contributed to the increased longevity observed in the world,” added the
report, commissioned by the UN’s World Health Organization. Gluckman conceded
that the commission’s policy recommendations - which range from promoting
healthy lifestyles to higher taxes on sugary drinks - may seem like common
sense. But, the commission noted, common sense strategies have not been
adequately implemented anywhere in the world, with the number of overweight
children growing from 31 million to 41 million between 1990 and 2014. “To date,
progress in tackling childhood obesity has been slow and inconsistent,” the
report said. Child obesity “is an exploding nightmare in the developing world,”
Gluckman said. The figures have surged in Africa, with the number of overweight
or obese children nearly doubling from 1990 to 2014, from 5.4 million to 10.3
million. The rate of increase in Asia was difficult to quantify, Gluckman said,
but Asia currently accounts for nearly half (48 percent) of children under five
categorised as overweight or obese. The report notes that in wealthier
countries, poorer children are more likely to be obese, partly due to the
relative affordability and abundance of fatty fast foods and high-sugar snacks.
In poorer countries the children of wealthier families are more likely to be
obese, including in cultures where “an overweight child is often considered to
be healthy.” The report outlines biological pathways that can expose children
to an elevated risk of obesity once they are born.
The first, called the “mismatch” pathway, results from even subtle malnutrition during pregnancy and early childhood, which can impact gene function and make a child far more likely to excessively gain weight. The second, the developmental pathway, can occur when a mother entering pregnancy is obese or has pre-existing diabetes. This “predisposes the child to increased fat deposits associated with metabolic disease and obesity,” the report said. The report’s recommendation call for an integrated response among governments, global health institutions and individuals, with Gluckman stressing that urging individuals to eat well and keep fit was not enough. “Dieting and exercise alone is not the solution,” he said. “We have responsibilities on behalf of the world’s children to stop them from being overly obese.” “What’s the big message? It’s not the kid’s fault,” commission co-chair Peter Gluckman told reporters. Biological factors, inadequate access to healthy foods, a decline in physical activity in schools and the unregulated marketing of fattening foods are among the drivers of a worsening epidemic that requires a coordinated global response, the report said. If not reversed, “the obesity epidemic has the potential to negate many of the health benefits that have contributed to the increased longevity observed in the world,” added the report, commissioned by the UN’s World Health Organization. Gluckman conceded that the commission’s policy recommendations - which range from promoting healthy lifestyles to higher taxes on sugary drinks - may seem like common sense. But, the commission noted, common sense strategies have not been adequately implemented anywhere in the world, with the number of overweight children growing from 31 million to 41 million between 1990 and 2014. “To date, progress in tackling childhood obesity has been slow and inconsistent,” the report said. Child obesity “is an exploding nightmare in the developing world,” Gluckman said. The figures have surged in Africa, with the number of overweight or obese children nearly doubling from 1990 to 2014, from 5.4 million to 10.3 million.
The rate of increase in Asia was difficult to quantify, Gluckman said, but Asia currently accounts for nearly half (48 percent) of children under five categorised as overweight or obese. The report notes that in wealthier countries, poorer children are more likely to be obese, partly due to the relative affordability and abundance of fatty fast foods and high-sugar snacks. In poorer countries the children of wealthier families are more likely to be obese, including in cultures where “an overweight child is often considered to be healthy.” The report outlines biological pathways that can expose children to an elevated risk of obesity once they are born. The first, called the “mismatch” pathway, results from even subtle malnutrition during pregnancy and early childhood, which can impact gene function and make a child far more likely to excessively gain weight. The second, the developmental pathway, can occur when a mother entering pregnancy is obese or has pre-existing diabetes. This “predisposes the child to increased fat deposits associated with metabolic disease and obesity,” the report said. The report’s recommendation call for an integrated response among governments, global health institutions and individuals, with Gluckman stressing that urging individuals to eat well and keep fit was not enough. “Dieting and exercise alone is not the solution,” he said. “We have responsibilities on behalf of the world’s children to stop them from being overly obese.”
Source: http://nation.com.pk/snippets/26-Jan-2016/child-obesity-a-nightmare-in-developing-world
The first, called the “mismatch” pathway, results from even subtle malnutrition during pregnancy and early childhood, which can impact gene function and make a child far more likely to excessively gain weight. The second, the developmental pathway, can occur when a mother entering pregnancy is obese or has pre-existing diabetes. This “predisposes the child to increased fat deposits associated with metabolic disease and obesity,” the report said. The report’s recommendation call for an integrated response among governments, global health institutions and individuals, with Gluckman stressing that urging individuals to eat well and keep fit was not enough. “Dieting and exercise alone is not the solution,” he said. “We have responsibilities on behalf of the world’s children to stop them from being overly obese.” “What’s the big message? It’s not the kid’s fault,” commission co-chair Peter Gluckman told reporters. Biological factors, inadequate access to healthy foods, a decline in physical activity in schools and the unregulated marketing of fattening foods are among the drivers of a worsening epidemic that requires a coordinated global response, the report said. If not reversed, “the obesity epidemic has the potential to negate many of the health benefits that have contributed to the increased longevity observed in the world,” added the report, commissioned by the UN’s World Health Organization. Gluckman conceded that the commission’s policy recommendations - which range from promoting healthy lifestyles to higher taxes on sugary drinks - may seem like common sense. But, the commission noted, common sense strategies have not been adequately implemented anywhere in the world, with the number of overweight children growing from 31 million to 41 million between 1990 and 2014. “To date, progress in tackling childhood obesity has been slow and inconsistent,” the report said. Child obesity “is an exploding nightmare in the developing world,” Gluckman said. The figures have surged in Africa, with the number of overweight or obese children nearly doubling from 1990 to 2014, from 5.4 million to 10.3 million.
The rate of increase in Asia was difficult to quantify, Gluckman said, but Asia currently accounts for nearly half (48 percent) of children under five categorised as overweight or obese. The report notes that in wealthier countries, poorer children are more likely to be obese, partly due to the relative affordability and abundance of fatty fast foods and high-sugar snacks. In poorer countries the children of wealthier families are more likely to be obese, including in cultures where “an overweight child is often considered to be healthy.” The report outlines biological pathways that can expose children to an elevated risk of obesity once they are born. The first, called the “mismatch” pathway, results from even subtle malnutrition during pregnancy and early childhood, which can impact gene function and make a child far more likely to excessively gain weight. The second, the developmental pathway, can occur when a mother entering pregnancy is obese or has pre-existing diabetes. This “predisposes the child to increased fat deposits associated with metabolic disease and obesity,” the report said. The report’s recommendation call for an integrated response among governments, global health institutions and individuals, with Gluckman stressing that urging individuals to eat well and keep fit was not enough. “Dieting and exercise alone is not the solution,” he said. “We have responsibilities on behalf of the world’s children to stop them from being overly obese.”
Source: http://nation.com.pk/snippets/26-Jan-2016/child-obesity-a-nightmare-in-developing-world
0 Response to "Child Obesity A Nightmare In Developing World"
Post a Comment