British Parents to Get ‘Fat Reports’ from School: Obesity as a World-Wide Problem
The problem of pediatric obesity is a world-wide one. In Britain, statistics show that one in 10 children aged four and five are obese and a further 13% are classified as overweight. The percentage of 10 – 11 year olds classified as obese jumped to 17.5 percent, while a further 14.2 percent were classified as overweight.
The Government is now under pressure to re-evaluate its intervention programs and has vowed to order that schools and health departments take the matter more seriously. Some of the new rules include the production of a ‘fat report’ showing the weight of British children aged four to five and ten to eleven. Previously, this information was available, but parents needed to ask for the report. Now the report is mandatory.
The Government has not stopped at just producing the report. It is accompanied by educational material on healthy eating and exercise. This ruling is in hopes that parents will stop ignoring the problem and will gain some educational insight into how to deal with the problem of obesity and of resources in the community to help them achieve weight goals for their children.
To be successful, the government must also follow through with providing community based support and resources to address the growing obesity problem. One such program already in place is the MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition . . . Do It!) intervention which is aimed at educating families affected by obesity. Dr. Sacher, a dietitian, founded the program, a free national course to help children lose weight. The program combines nutrition education and exercise to reach weight loss goals.
The U. S. needs to look at all avenues, including international solutions, for solving our growing problem of obesity. We need to include the whole community in preventive and treatment approaches. The community involves people, schools, health departments, restaurants, and even churches. Workplace wellness programs can also reach out to families who are victims of obesity. The US needs to fund free national programs such as MEND in Britain. What we are doing currently just is not enough and is not working.
About the author
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
