It is no exaggeration to say there is a crisis in children’s diets. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey found that:
- 92% of children consume more saturated fat than is recommended
- 86% consume too much sugar
- 72% consume too much salt
- 96% do not get enough fruit and vegetables.
The Chief Medical Officer has compared the crisis in children’s diets to a health ‘time bomb’ which must be defused.
Children’s dietary health, in particular childhood obesity, is widely recognised as one of our most pressing public health problems. The recent Foresight Report on Obesity makes grave predictions for the future state of the nation’s health unless we act now. Without action, 55% of boys, and 70% of girls, could be overweight or obese by 2050 and obesity will cost the country £45 billion a year.
The Health Consequences
The children’s diet crisis leads to serious health and well-being problems. The former Chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), for example, has warned that for the first time in more than a century life expectancy may fall, with the real prospect that parents may outlive their children.
The most high-profile health issue is the dramatic rise in childhood obesity. The UK now has the highest rate of obesity in Europe, and childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate: one in three children is now overweight or obese. Obesity in children under 11 has risen by over 40% in ten years. If this trend continues, half of children will be obese or overweight by 2020.
The consequences of childhood obesity are now clear: incidences of high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and even clogged arteries in children are rising. Obesity in childhood is likely to develop into obesity in adulthood, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes or cancer in later life.
The psychological impact of obesity can be as damaging as the physical for many children. Being overweight or obese is associated with increased levels of distress, disadvantage, and psychological problems.
Alongside the problems associated with obesity, junk food diets are causing other health problems. For example, type 2 diabetes – once known as “late onset” and traditionally found in the over 40s – is increasingly found in adolescents.
Junk food diets also have significant effects on children’s behaviour, concentration, learning ability and mood. Children with diets lacking in essential vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids tend to perform worse academically, cannot concentrate and are more aggressive.
