Record childhood obesity levels are causing some schools and playgroups to think hard about the food messages they give children. Judith Napier reports
Obesity has increased in most parts of the world, and figures show that the UK has an estimated two million overweight children.
There is no shortage of reasons for this - an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, food industry promotion of high-fat processed food, parents' confusion over what constitutes a 'healthy' diet and increased safety fears dissuading youngsters from outdoor play.
Obese children also suffer from added psychological problems - poor educational performance, painful isolation from their peers and depression. And statistics published last year also show that a fifth of English women and 17 per cent of men are obese. Obese adults are more prone to serious health problems including heart disease, diabetes, gall bladder disease, arthritis, strokes and cancers.
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