what should early years practitioners be doing to help prevent it?
Professor Pinki Sahota offers expert advice.
Currently within the UK over one third of children of pre-school age are overweight and obese and it is estimated that a tenth (9.5 per cent) of UK children are already obese when they start school (1). Although recent UK data indicate that rates appear to be levelling off in four- and five-year-olds, prevalence remains high, with increased rates amongst low-income and some ethnic groups(1).
Childhood obesity begins in early childhood (2, 3) , with evidence emerging about the impact of obesity on early health. There is evidence of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and abnormal glucose metabolism present in nine-year-olds (4). Furthermore childhood obesity is known to track into adulthood and contribute to obesity-related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and osteoarthritis (5).
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