Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 06-10-2017
The United Nations (UN) have warned that an estimated 41 million children under five years old are obese or overweight, 20 million of them in Africa.
The UN has launched new guidelines to tackle what they call a global epidemic.
Faced with evidence indicating that the problem affects rich and poor countries alike, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released details on how trained professionals can better identify youngsters in need of help.
The just-published obesity guidelines include counselling and dieting, an assessment of eating habits along with the more usual weight and height measurements.
WHO says the prevalence of obesity in children reflects changing patterns towards unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.
“Urbanization, increased incomes, availability of fast foods, educational demands, television viewing and gaming have led to a rise in the consumption of foods high in fats, sugar and salt and lower levels of physical activity.”
Dr. Francesco Branca, WHO’s Director of the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development says parents should be paying more attention to what their children are eating.
“The food environment has to be changed. The food environment depends on what is offered. Personal choice is important, so education, information and parents responsibilities are important. But if the food which is at hand and available is not the right one, is not the right price, than those wise choices cannot be implemented.”
The UN says while there have been major public health interventions to promote improved diet and patterns of physical activity in adults, the contribution of antenatal and young-child interventions to reducing the risk of obesity in later life have not been significantly reviewed.
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