The ticking time bomb we've created

The Irish obesity epidemic now has a child's face. The number of significantly overweight children in Ireland is increasing by 10, 000 every year and has trebled over the past decade. This growing problem has both health and financial consequences and affects us all.

An obese child is twice as likely to be an obese adult. Adult obesity is costing our society at least €34 million and is responsible for 2,500 deaths each year. The Celtic Tiger may have brought new found prosperity and higher standards of living, but it has also meant easier access to unhealthy food, larger portions, as well as the temptation to overeat.

According to the National Children's Survey, 2005, one in ten 5-12 year olds is overweight and another one in ten is obese. In total, about 22% of 5-12 year olds are overweight or obese.

Dr. Eva Orsmond runs the Shape Up Weight Management Clinic in Stillorgan, Co. Dublin. A medical doctor originally from Finland, she specialises in treating overweight children and adults. A mother of two and past "yo-yo dieter" herself, she understands and empathises with her obese patients, but is frustrated at many parents' reluctance or outright denial about their child's obesity and its related health risks. She receives a lot of last-minute cancellations for child consultations and believes parents aren't recognising obesity as the serious problem it is, but are putting it down to "part of growing up or growing out of puppy fat."

Some parents are worried that making an issue out of their child's weight problem will turn them anorexic," she says. "But the consequences of obesity are far more dangerous. It's very rare that an obese child will go the opposite way and turn anorexic. I think it's difficult for parents to accept their responsibilities in this situation, and that it may be partly their fault what their child is or isn't eating. In general a child should be eating the same food as her parents, not readymade chicken and chips."

The abundance of take-away meals and ready-made convenience foods is playing a definite part in our children's rising obesity levels according to Dr. Orsmond. "If you look at the average shopping trolley, we're eating a lot of high-fat content and processed foods," she says.

"We're also buying a lot of high glyceamic food that's promoted in the food pyramid, which concentrates too much on bread."

Encouraging positive lifestyle habits for adulthood has never been more important, since children get 90% of their energy from food eaten at home. Yet passing on those healthy eating and active living habits is no easy task for parents. On the one hand, sugary snacks, processed foods and fizzy drinks are waging a constant battle in the name of convenience. One-fifth of Irish children's energy intake from food comes from sweets, snacks and biscuits. On the other hand, reliance on TV, video and computer games limit the opportunities for children to be active and enjoy games and sport. Only one in five children walk to school anymore, and one in three watch more than two hours of television every day.

Exercise plays a part in preventing obesity, even if diet is the main factor. She also strongly feels that GPs should be more proactive when they encounter an overweight child in their surgery. "I see children with a cholesterol level of 6.5, which is very high, and their doctor hasn't even bothered to check. Height and weight should be monitored on a yearly basis at school in my opinion as part of an annual check-up. After all, it's easier to prevent problems if we catch them before they become a big problem."

Dr. Orsmond also regularly encounters the psychological implications and harsh emotional repercussions childhood obesity has on her patients, and feels its effects are even worse than anything health-related. "All children are teased, but it's even worse when you're overweight. Children take any insult very seriously and withdraw further into themselves, which just makes it a vicious cycle. They start not wanting to expose themselves, or go swimming for example."

The Irish Heart Foundation has recently published a free 24-page colour magazine called "Your Child's Heart... For Life." It aims to provide parents, childminders, carers and teachers with information about healthy eating and active living for children and young people. It highlights how small changes in our everyday lives - eating together as a family, buying a variety of fruit and vegetables, doing some activity together - can be hugely beneficial to our children's health, and our own. There are practical, useful tips about shopping, cooking and snacking, as well as ways to get children active. It also features interviews with parents about the very real difficulties of raising healthy children in today's society.

One of these parents is Gillian Higgins who lives in Cork and finds it challenging to maintain healthy eating in her household. She regularly makes her daughter's lunch and uses this act to positively influence her eating habits, by including items like soup, cereal bars, yogurt and fruit. She also embraces the fact that sweets aren't allowed in her daughter's school.

Gillian has also removed unhealthy food from the home. "I've stopped buying junk food like big packs of crisps and biscuits,"she says. "I found it wasn't even the kids eating it, but us. When you know it's there, you just keep going back for them. Now I just buy the odd treat one at a time. The kids don't look for them if they’re not there." In terms of active living, Gillian finds it's easy to get exercise as a family if you plan ahead of time. "You just have to get yourself organised and try to get into a routine. Then everyone gets used to it. "Her daughter plays sports in school, and she takes regular walks with her son. A new leisure centre is also about to open up nearby, and the whole family plan to become members and use the facilities together.

Gillian strongly believes in the idea of healthy living and eating now to impact on the future. "When you look at children, you wouldn't think they have any problems. But it's not now, but later on you have to worry about. I try to give mine the best start I can, and hopefully they'll carry that on when they get older. It's all about habits, and what they think is the norm. Eating good food and exercising is good for me too, in that I'm also looking after my own health. If they saw me eating crisps all day, they'd think that was the thing to do."
EM

To find out more, please visit www.irishheart.ie or call 1850 364 364