40 CLINICAL
Nutrition and obesity in school-age children
Key learning points To understand the impact of childhood obesity
To understand what a healthy balanced diet is for children
To know how to answer frequently asked questions from parents and carers
E ating a healthy diet and being physically active are important throughout life . This is particularly true for children and adolescents because their nutrition and lifestyle influence their wellbeing , growth and development . Childhood obesity and excess weight can have serious physical and mental health implications , which can continue into adulthood . 1 In recent years there has been an increased focus on tackling obesity in childhood but much more remains to be done to improve children ’ s diet and lifestyle habits . 2
Childhood obesity Childhood obesity and overweight is a significant public health problem . 2 Children living with obesity are likely to stay obese into adulthood and are at increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a younger age . They are also more
1.5 CPD HOURS nursinginpracticelearning . co . uk likely to experience bullying , low self-esteem and a lower quality of life . 2 Figures for 2019 / 2020 from the National Child Measurement Programme , which assesses overweight and obesity levels in children in primary school reception class ( ages 4-5 ) and Year 6 ( ages 10-11 ), show that one in five children at reception stage is overweight or obese , rising to one in three by the time they leave primary school at the age of 11 . 3 Similarly , data from the Health Survey for England 2019 suggest nearly one in three children aged 2-15 years is overweight or obese . 4 There is a stark socio-economic gradient , with more than double the number of children in the most deprived areas living with obesity compared with those in the least deprived areas . 3
Children ’ s dietary intakes versus recommendations Evidence indicates that overweight and obese boys consume an excess of between 140 – 500 calories each day , depending nursinginpractice . com Winter 2021