The warning by Annabel Bentley, BUPA's assistant medical director, was given as the private healthcare company published a booklet of tips and recipes to help childcarers and parents encourage young children to break bad eating habits and be more active. The booklet, Helping Toddlers to Eat Well, has been distributed across BUPA's chain of 34 Teddies Nurseries.
Dr Bentley said obesity could leave children more susceptible to heart disease, depression, osteoporosis, respiratory difficulties and cancer. 'It is very worrying that Type II diabetes, which is also know as "adult-onset diabetes", is now being diagnosed in children,' she said. 'This is a fundamental change in disease pattern and is due to the rising level of childhood obesity. As well as bearing the psychological effects of being obese, for example being bullied or teased, obese children also reduce their life expectancy, and some experts are now predicting that obese children may be outlived by their parents.'
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