Health promotion official wants action not figures

A survey launched yesterday to measure the body mass index of secondary school pupils was heavily criticised by a high-ranking health promotion official, saying action was needed not statistics.

Marianne Massa, principal health promotion officer within the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department, questioned the need for more figures, insisting that it was time for action.

In fact, it has long been known that Malta tops the obesity league for children, even outranking the US. Statistics revealed by Ms Massa yesterday show that things have only got worse.

Preliminary figures from WHO's Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study show that the percentage of 15-year-old girls who are either overweight or obese has almost doubled between 2002 and 2006, climbing from 16.7 per cent to 27.8 per cent.

The situation is also deteriorating among female 13-year-olds, with the percentage going up from 23.5 per cent to 30.9 per cent, Ms Massa, the principal investigator of the study in Malta, told The Times.

Levels of extra weight and obesity have also gone up by 4.2 per cent among 15-year-old boys while they have dropped slightly - by 2.8 per cent - among male 13-year-olds.

Contacted after the launch of the nationwide survey, which aims to give authorities a clear snapshot of the local situation, Ms Massa said the information already exists and what was really needed now were programmes to tackle the problem.

"What are we going to do with children who have a weight problem? Are we just going to tell them that they have a problem and leave it at that," she asked when contacted.

Asked how children found to have weight problems would be followed up and whether the authorities would be recommending any exercise and nutrition programmes, Anthony Xuereb, from the Educational Medical Services, said this was a data-gathering exercise under a government initiative called Healthy Eating Lifestyle Plan. Its aim was not to tackle individual problems but to analyse the situation.

However, students' BMI would be passed on to the parents so that they can take advice from healthcare workers. This was criticised by Ms Massa, who said that, in the absence of a national programme to tackle obesity, telling children they had a weight problem could do more harm than good.

"We do not need any more statistics but, rather, to do something about the problem. We need direct action for children," she said.

However, Margaret Ellul, who chairs the Healthy Eating Lifestyle Plan, defended the need for the information, saying it would enable the authorities to determine whether any progress is made over a five-year period. The plan was launched last year and called for a BMI survey among secondary school children, as one of the initiatives to tackle the obesity problem.

Ms Massa is also worried about the psychological impact of telling children they are overweight, pointing out that chubby children are already the victims of bullying.

Moreover, she is worried that, if children are not followed up, those found to have a higher BMI than desired could fall victim to eating disorders.

During the launch of the survey yesterday, Education Minister Dolores Cristina warned children not to follow any "stupid diets" that could do more harm than good.

The minister said the reason behind Malta's overweight and obesity problem could lie in the fact that fast food had become part of our daily lives while more children were living an increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

"We need to encourage youngsters to take part in sport and to live a more active lifestyle."

Dr Xuereb said the survey formed part of a myriad of initiatives undertaken within the Healthy Eating Lifestyle Plan, which outlines three objectives aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Asked whether the time has come to overhaul the tuck shop system - in a similar manner to the way the St Benedict College tuck shop is now completely manned by teachers and only sells healthy food - Dr Xuereb said this is what the authorities were aiming for.