Breast feeding and early nutrition habits are vital as experts say our chances of being healthy ‘appear difficult to alter after the age of about five’ as experts say new mums should get health advice
Child obesity risk is largely “set by age five” as experts say new mums should be targeted with urgent health advice.
A report by the UK Academy of Medical Sciences has warned that a child’s trajectories are set early in life and “appear difficult to alter after the age of about five years”. One in ten children are now obese by this age but experts insist it must not be considered a “character flaw” and carry stigma. The academics said that the period from pregnancy through to a child’s second birthday are “critical to development and health across the life-course”.
Professor Susan Ozanne, co-chair of the report, said: “The first 1,000 days, including time in the womb, represent an important window of opportunity to set children on a healthy trajectory for life. Once obesity is established, it becomes increasingly harder to reverse. This isn’t about individual willpower or blaming and shaming – it’s about creating an environment for parents, carers and their children that supports healthy development from the very beginning.”
The National Childhood Measurement Programme shows 9.6% of children in England are obese when they begin primary school and 22.1% of 10 and 11-year-olds are obese. Obesity is higher in boys than girls and those living in poorer neighbourhoods are more likely to be obese compared to those in the wealthiest.
The joint report with the Italian National Academy of Sciences said interventions could include helping women to begin pregnancy at a healthy weight, encouraging breastfeeding, which is linked with a reduced risk of childhood obesity and avoiding “rapid catch-up growth” in low birth weight babies.
It said single interventions “such as diet or physical activity, in single settings” rarely work without consideration of wider factors which may contribute to childhood obesity.
The report says that portraying obesity as a “character flaw” leads to stigmatisation which can be counterproductive and may increase the risk of unhealthy diet and lifestyle, but positive messages about the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight may work better.
The report states: “Childhood obesity has become an urgent public health challenge that is both affecting lives today and storing up problems for the future.”
As an example, the report highlights how levels of obesity in deprived areas is creating a “vicious cycle” because obesity is linked to reduced job opportunities which in turn is a risk factor for weight gain.
The new report comes as the Government prepares to launch its 10 year plan for health, which has a focus on preventing ill health from occurring in the first place. In Britain 1.3 million children are obese and a further 2.3 million are overweight.
Professor Rosalind Smyth, clinical vice-president at the Academy of Medical Sciences, added: “When we address health inequalities in the earliest years, we’re not just improving individual outcomes – we’re building the foundations for a healthier, more productive society. The evidence reinforces that prevention must be co-ordinated across all government departments.”