One third of children in Leicester 'are overweight or obese'

[davieG]

Health bosses are running a series of programmes to help tackle the problem of childhood obesity.

It comes as new figures published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre showed more than a third of 10 and 11-year-olds in Leicester are classed as overweight or obese.

Of the 3,381 year six pupils weighed in the past year, 1,180 (34.9 per cent) were over their recommended weight.

Of these, 713 (21 per cent) were classed as obese.

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The overall proportion for obese and overweight children was down slightly, from 35.1 per cent in 2012.

However, it is still above the English average of 33.3 per cent and the East Midlands average of 32.8 per cent.

Rod Moore, Leicester City Council's divisional director of public health, said: "It is promising that the proportion of obese or overweight children in both reception year and year six has reduced slightly since last year.

"However, levels of childhood obesity are a concern.

"A number of initiatives and services are being run across the city to help to tackle the problem."

These include schemes in children's centres and nurseries to improve nutrition.

Another programme aims to train school staff about the importance of healthy eating, and offers families cooking courses.

The figures also showed 428 children starting at city schools were classed as obese – up from 412 the previous year.

Obesity is measured by a child's body mass index, which is calculated using both height and weight and it also takes into account age and sex.

The number of children weighing more than they should on leaving school in Leicestershire and Rutland has dropped from 2,056 last year to 2,001.

A total of 7,320 reception pupils and 6,477 in year six were measured in the two counties.

The number of year six pupils classed as obese has also fallen from 1,078, in 2011/12, to 1,062 in the past year.

In reception classes, 1,376 were overweight or obese. This compares to 1,489 the previous year.

Councillor Ernie White, the county council lead for health, said: "It is good news that the number of overweight or obese children in year six – 30.9 per cent – is significantly lower than the averages for England and the East Midlands."

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Schemes-curb-childhood-obesity/story-20399756-detail/story.html#ixzz2pRGZIjgs

[Webbo]

I wonder how many of their parents are forced into going to foodbanks because of the cuts?

[purpleronnie]

The sad thing is nationally 30% is quite good.

[fleckneymike]

But when you take their weight into account they add up to 90%of the children.

[Guest Col city fan]

Unbelievable really, given all the fookin resources that have been pumped into tackling obesity. All the healthy eating campaigns in schools etc. Like many things, I think the stats show we have 'the most of' in Europe (eg. Teenage pregnancies, Alcohol consumption)

Again, I think its primarily expense. Fresh fruit and veg being relatively expensive, oh and parenting...

[Unabomber]

Doesn't cost anything to exercise.

[ADK]

Fresh fruit was pretty expensive last time I went to Spain but there were loads of people buying it.

 

Is 70p for a kilo of bananas expensive? Or £1 for a 1.5kg bag of carrots?

[Webbo]

Fresh fruit was pretty expensive last time I went to Spain but there were loads of people buying it.

 

Is 70p for a kilo of bananas expensive? Or £1 for a 1.5kg bag of carrots?

Depends what it's compared to, it's cheaper than a Happy Meal at McDonalds.

[Trumpet]

Eating fresh can be more expensive, but if people are educated on how to preserve and best use fresh produce, it can be incredibly cheap. I'm stuck in my ways with certain products, such as cereals, but when it comes to fruit and veg, Aldi is brilliant.

Depends what it's compared to, it's cheaper than a Happy Meal at McDonalds.

Exactly. 

 

Supermarkets don't help by selling ready packaged fruit. It's so easy to spend a quid or two on a ready packed bunch of bananas, where if you'd pick them yourself you can save so much.

 

I remember the last time I bought a couple of onions, it cost me about 17p for both. On the otherhand it was about 90p for ready packaged onions.

[Finnegan]

The money argument is bollocks, to be honest. It can be both cheap and expensive to eat either healthily or not depending on how much effort you put in and - as Unabomber says - it costs **** all to exercise. 

 

We live in a highly technologically stimulating age and kids get too many kicks out of iPads, consoles, PCs and the TV to have the same interest in running around in the mud chasing a ball about.

 

I could have eaten Maccy Dees every day as a child and still been a beanpole because I never stopped running about doing athletics, football, swimming, tennis, whatever. You let your kid be a couch potato he's going to look like one whether he's eating carrots or Mars Bars.

[ADK]

I'm also not sure if those figures are so bad.

 

Judging a healthy weight for children is difficult.

 

7.33% of the kids are obese.

 

That is about 1 in 15.

[hairy]

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2014/feb/05/most-overweight-areas-england-mapped

 

This is depressing 70%+ in Harborugh are overweight

[Alexikokopops]

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2014/feb/05/most-overweight-areas-england-mapped

 

This is depressing 70%+ in Harborugh are overweight

 

48.7% in Hackney. We're beanpoles!

[Jon the Hat]

There are no overwiehgt kids in my daughters reception year.  This either proves that:

 

1) Wealthier parents feed their kids better

2) Intelligent parents feed their kids better

3) Good schools feed kids better

4) Kids in good schools get more excercise

5) We are all genetically predisposed to out parents weight, and all the parents are fairly thin through stress or excercise.

 

Which is it?  Some?  All?  Who knows.

[hairy]

There are no overwiehgt kids in my daughters reception year.  This either proves that:

 

1) Wealthier parents feed their kids better

2) Intelligent parents feed their kids better

3) Good schools feed kids better

4) Kids in good schools get more excercise

5) We are all genetically predisposed to out parents weight, and all the parents are fairly thin through stress or excercise.

 

Which is it?  Some?  All?  Who knows.

So you consider your local catchment to be wealthier, more intelligent, better fed, more active and stressed?

Leicester city has a low % than most of the county  so how does that fit in with your statement?

[kingcarr21]

The money argument is bollocks, to be honest. It can be both cheap and expensive to eat either healthily or not depending on how much effort you put in and - as Unabomber says - it costs **** all to exercise. 

 

We live in a highly technologically stimulating age and kids get too many kicks out of iPads, consoles, PCs and the TV to have the same interest in running around in the mud chasing a ball about.

 

I could have eaten Maccy Dees every day as a child and still been a beanpole because I never stopped running about doing athletics, football, swimming, tennis, whatever. You let your kid be a couch potato he's going to look like one whether he's eating carrots or Mars Bars.

 

Exactly this

 

I also think one major problem is parents are simply too lazy to cook fresh prepared meals for there kids. Its too simple to just whack some frozen crap in the oven for the kids to sit in front of the tv and eat it. Not only that but places like iceland that sell said frozen crap at cheap prices means parents look at the monetary savings over the health of there children.

 

Also i remember going out everynight after school to play with friends whether it be football or on bikes or even just walking the streets (as i got a little older). This was all exercise that just doesnt happen in todays youth anymore. Very rare do i see a kid on his/her bike riding up and down the street as they would rather watch tv or play playstation. ( I was a massive gamer growing up but i always put going out with my mates first) 

[Jon the Hat]

So you consider your local catchment to be wealthier, more intelligent, better fed, more active and stressed?

Leicester city has a low % than most of the county  so how does that fit in with your statement?

 

The families of the group of kids in her school is definately all of those things.  Merely an observation that there are no fat kids.

[Captain...]

I think the blame is on high fat, high salt ready meals and oven ready processed food. I eat them myself when I have no time to cook properly.

 

The question is why? Why are kids diets so poor, do parents not have time to cook proper food, or do they just not realise how bad that food is and how easy and satisying cooking from fresh is? Cost is an issue, but I think time/knowledge is a bigger one, as you can get good fresh ingredients really cheap, but if you don't know how to use them, or don't have the time, then it is not much good.

 

Personally I think it is a mixture.

[lavrentis]

I think the blame is on high fat, high salt ready meals and oven ready processed food. I eat them myself when I have no time to cook properly.

 

The question is why? Why are kids diets so poor, do parents not have time to cook proper food, or do they just not realise how bad that food is and how easy and satisying cooking from fresh is? Cost is an issue, but I think time/knowledge is a bigger one, as you can get good fresh ingredients really cheap, but if you don't know how to use them, or don't have the time, then it is not much good.

 

Personally I think it is a mixture.

 

I think some people just cant cook either so frozen food it is for them and their kids

[Webbo]

I think some people just cant cook either so frozen food it is for them and their kids

Frozen veg is no more fattening than fresh.

[DennisNedry]

I think some people just cant cook either so frozen food it is for them and their kids

 

I live off ready meals simply because I'm too lazy to learn how to cook. I'm not fat though.

[Vlad the Fox]

I'm also not sure if those figures are so bad.

 

Judging a healthy weight for children is difficult.

 

7.33% of the kids are obese.

 

That is about 1 in 15.

If these are the tests that my children have had done at school i would take them with a pinch of salt. Some parents were being told that their children were overweight when there was no way they could have been. Children grow at different rates, some children are as big as children in the year above sometimes two years above. I think the tests are a step to far, it's clear if a child is overweight they don't need to feel targeted for it. They are also well educated on healthy eating in schools nowadays so hopefully the next generation of kids will be fine but it's today's parents that they should continue to drive the message into as even considering my scepticism for these tests there is still a lot to do.

By the way, may kids were ideal weight before any of you fatties accuse me of denial.

[lavrentis]

Frozen veg is no more fattening than fresh.

 

Very true but less nutritious

[ADK]

Very true but less nutritious

 

Is it?

[lavrentis]

Is it?

 

Yes, always what ive been told