British girls are the fattest in Europe

Childhood obesity in the UK has reached ‘alarming’ levels with up to a third being dangerously fat, warn doctors. They claim Britain is ‘the fat man of Europe’ and the problems have set in by the age of nine. A report also says the UK’s child death rate is the second worst in western Europe, with an estimated five extra deaths a day compared with the best performing country, Daily Mail reported.

One in 10 children – around three in every classroom – has a diagnosable mental health condition but even those identified are often not treated properly.

In a wide-ranging report, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), which represents doctors specialising in children and young people, issues a wake-up call to politicians.

It says childhood obesity statistics ‘continue to cause alarm’ with 26 per cent of boys and 29 per cent of girls overweight and obese ‘storing up serious health problems for the future’.

British girls under 20 are the fattest in Europe – topping a league table of 22 nations in Western Europe. British boys under 20 are 10th in the league table, with Greece at the top where one-third of boys are ranked as fat.

The RCPCH wants a ban on advertising of foods high in saturated fats, sugar and salt before 9pm, and restrictions that stop them being advertised on internet ‘on-demand’ services.

Food and nutrition training should be mandatory for teachers as part of a bid to improve children’s diet in schools, along with more activity for children promoted via more cycle lanes and 20mph speed limits.

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