Govt to alert parents if children are overweight
LONDON (AFP) — Parents of primary school children are to receive an official government letter warning them if their child's weight is above the healthy norm for their age under new plans drawn up by the Department of Health.
The move is the latest in a line of initiatives designed to tackle the growing problem of obesity in Britain.
Schools routinely measure a child's height and weight at the age of 4-5 and again when they are between the ages of 10 and 11, although parents can chose to exempt their children from the process.
The resulting measurements are used to calculate the body mass index (BMI) -- an approximate measure of body fat which indicates whether a person is underweight, a healthy weight, overweight or clinically obese.
The letter will advise parents of their child's results and will suggest they contact their local GP or practice nurse if they want further help.
But ministers have outlawed the use of any wording which could be seen as offensive -- such as "fat" or "obese" -- for fear such descriptions could alienate overweight children and cause parents to dismiss the letter out of hand.
Instead, children who are clinically overweight will be referred to as "very overweight".
Figures from 2006-7 show that just over one in five children -- 22.9 percent -- aged 4-5 were either overweight or obese, with that number rising to almost one in three -- or 31.6 percent -- by the age of 10-11.
Will Cavendish, head of health and wellbeing at the Department of Health, said the term "obese" was unhelpful.
"Use of the word obese shuts people down," he said.
"We have not banned (it) but we have chosen not to use it. There's no point giving them a letter that does not have any impact on their behaviour."
Health Minister Ivan Lewis said most parents wanted to know whether there was any concern about their children's health, but studies showed many were unclear about when weight was becoming an issue.
"Research shows that most parents of overweight or obese children think that their child is a healthy weight," he said.
"This important move isn't about pointing the finger and telling parents that their children are overweight. Instead it's about equipping parents with the information they need to help their children live healthier lives."
