Statistics on child obesity are shocking. Health experts claim that children today are 40 per cent heavier compared with 25 years ago and a growing number of studies have linked rising childhood obesity rates to increased consumption of sugary drinks.

There is no shortage of evidence on how serious the risks are of child obesity. Perhaps the biggest risk is ‘paralysis by analysis’, that is, continuing to measure the problem but failing to come up with an effective strategy to deal with this problem.

The launching of a pilot exercise to measure the Body Mass Index (BMI) of children is certainly a welcome move.

It will probably confirm what is already well known: far too many children are obese and are likely to carry this disadvantage into adulthood.

Dealing with the child obesity epidemic is a complex issue as there are various social, educational and cultural factors militating against the implementation of a comprehensive strategy. Schools are the obvious first line of defence against the onslaught of obesity inducing practices. Most schools in Malta sell soft drinks and sugar-laden snacks to children who rely on school tuck shops and mobile fast food providers for their snacks.

The beverage and fast food industries spend millions of euros every year to promote their chemical concoctions that taste fine but are a serious threat to consumers’ health. Marketers have easy access to children through glitzy advertisements on television, social media and billboards to promote their products.

Educational authorities fret about the consequences of banning such advertising because the culture we live in shuns interference with the right to choice.

The problem of growing child obesity also has serious social elements that need to be addressed. For some families access to fruit and vegetables is very limited forcing them to rely on processed foods that are more easily available and affordable. Some parents are unaware that feeding their children fast-food meals is like feeding them a chemistry experiment whose long-term results are not always so obvious.

Whether as a result of low income or lack of education, many parents do not believe junk food is harming their children. Others wrongly believe that young children who are picky eaters are better off eating something even if it is unhealthy. Many parents are also bad role models as they themselves indulge in fast food consumption. Lack of information about and scarce availability of healthy food is another contributor to the growth of obesity in children.

The water-only policy that will be implemented in schools from September is one concrete step to start tackling the obesity epidemic beyond the measuring of children’s weight. More tactics like this are needed if we are to be successful in this war against child obesity.

Educators need to work with parents to encourage them to prepare nutritious food for their children. We need to fight the popular misconception that salads and vegetables are food for the poor. One expert claims that “children have been known to hide in the bathroom at their schools to eat a banana, lest their friends see them”.

Physical exercise also has a role in encouraging children to maintain a healthy body weight. Overweight and obese children would benefit immensely if they spend at least 30 minutes of activity a day. Getting children away from TV sets to exercise in the open is a simple and effective strategy for promoting healthy living.

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