Gone are the days when overweight children would be singled out in the classroom by peers for their lack of slenderness.

Bad news for bullies and good news for vulnerable children, but slightly worrying when we consider bulging waistlines are now relatively ‘normal’.

Obesity has more than doubled in the Western world over the last quarter of a century. It is estimated that one in three people in the US is now overweight or obese.

While the Americans occupy the top spot in obesity rankings, the epidemic is worldwide and on the rise, so where they are now, so too we will be in the not-so-distant future. And before we get too comfortable peering over the pond at our larger-than-life American counterparts, we must remember that the rankings have us not too far behind.

From pastizzi to pool parties, we Maltese are larger than ever before in our rich history. If excessive body fat was just a matter of aesthetics, perhaps social perceptions would simple evolve to accommodate the new standard versions of man and woman. However, this is sadly not the case. Obesity leads to health problems, and health problems cost money. Talking about evolution, that seems to be the latest buzzword in the fight against fat.

The US is delving deeper into the epidemic, assuming now that eating too much and moving around too little is an overly simplistic explanation of the problem.

Researchers at the University of Alabama have released a paper suggesting that the lifestyle of mothers significantly affects their children and increases their risk of putting on too much weight too quickly.

At a physiological level, Edward Archer blames the increasing rate of inactivity through the years for shifting the balance from muscle cells to fat cells in the demand for energy. Fat cells, he claims, are outcompeting muscle cells and other tissue for the energy provided by the food we eat.

Furthermore, this unfavourable condition may be passed on to children from generation to generation, resulting in a sort of evolution-gone-bad scenario.

He suggests that our lifestyle habits have become so unhealthy, for so long, that obesity in our offspring is almost guaranteed.

“It’s not our fault,” seems to be the emerging undertone, as the theory suggests that the cause of obesity is not as simple as what children are doing now, however much they eat and fail to play actively. They are suffering from a domino effect instigated by previous generations.

“Non-genetic evolutionary forces,” they call it. An interesting new approach, as more researchers in obesity-stricken nations feel the urge to throw in their two pennies’ worth.

With the prominence of the obesity issue, it seems somebody somewhere had to jump to the rescue of children accused of gluttony and sloth and parents judged for their failure to invest the time or effort into feeding their children healthy food and facilitating more active leisure pursuits.

The solution, however, whichever way we look at it, hasn’t changed. Whether it is us or previous generations that have fallen short, we need more active people. Even if the onus is shifting onto mothers, the answer is still healthier eating and more physical exercise.

Mothers are being charged with the new responsibility of breaking the negative evolutionary cycle by getting and staying in shape as early as possible in life. Preparing for pregnancy itself will not only help mothers through the entire process and birth, but serves to increase the chances of healthier offspring too.

Is pre-natal fitness our next big weapon in the fight against obesity? Despite our consistently high scores in European and international obesity rankings, like many other affected nations, we are still at a loss for effective solutions.

So while the US and the UK may have superior infrastructures and the ability to conduct such research and devise new strategies, we should take a special interest in their findings, simply because we are in pretty much the same boat.

Whether it’s mothers or children in the firing line, it is clear we need increased promotion of healthier and more active lifestyles across the board. We need options. The decision to live healthier should not be a difficult one to make. But let’s not fall into the trap of playing the blame game. We could blame children, parents, previous generations or even the authorities, but nothing will change unless we all play our part by starting to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Emerging research performed by sports development students at Mcast indicates that a majority of people in Malta are unaware of our dire standing in international obesity and inactivity rankings.

We can’t go about fixing a problem we are unaware of, so perhaps an effective start is simply, awareness. Awareness of the risks of obesity-related conditions such as heart disease, awareness that by comparison to our European counterparts, our culture needs some fine-tuning in the way we look at sport, physical activity, active leisure and health eating.

Awareness perhaps, first and foremost, that we must take responsibility for our own lifestyle decisions. Say no to the naughty treat, say yes to that walk or invitation to play active leisure pursuits or join a gym or fitness class.

What will you do when you put down this newspaper?

matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt