A heavy-handed solution to problem of obesity?

Dec 14 2009 by Helen Rae, The Journal

Health bosses and parents are increasingly at odds over how seriously weight concerns should be taken for growing children. Health reporter Helen Rae looks at the response to the latest initiative - measuring youngsters at school and reporting the findings back to parents.

OBESITY levels in the North East are on the rise, according to NHS statistics.

More than one in four youngsters of reception school age are obese or overweight in the region, despite Government efforts to tackle the problem.

By the time those children leave primary school that figure has rocketed to more than one in three youngsters who are deemed to be obese or overweight.

But now those figures are under scrutiny as parents question the need to label children as overweight at a time when their bodies are still growing.

The figures came after the Department of Health asked for every child to be weighed and measured at school in a bid to halt the obesity epidemic. Children are measured by their BMI – a weight and height measurement used by doctors to determine how healthy a person is – and then parents are told what category their child’s weight fits into such as underweight, ideal weight, obese or very obese. In the UK, people with a body mass index of 25 or more are defined as overweight, and obese if the measure is over 30. But some have labelled the voluntary measurement programme inaccurate while others say the scheme is essential in ensuring efforts are made to curb obesity levels.

YES: Beth Coates, mother of a six-year-old labelled 'overweight'

MUM Beth Coates was furious when her young son was labelled as "overweight" by a child management programme based on BMI results.

Ms Coates of Dudley, near Cramlington, claimed BMI was inaccurate for the changing bodies of under-12s, and rubbished figures that placed her son Antonio, six, in the top one per cent of obese children.

Earlier this year Antonio was weighed and measured with classmates at Greenfields Primary School in Wide Open, North Tyneside. as part of the NHS’s National Child Measurement Programme.

At 3st 10lb he incorrectly fell into the overweight categories. Ms Coates, 32, said: "I do not agree with the weight measurement programme as a lot of it is inaccurate and children are labelled as overweight or obese when, in fact, they are not and this is very irresponsible. I was told my son was overweight when he wasn’t and a letter of apology was sent to me by the local NHS saying they had got his measurements wrong.

"It can cause parents a lot of stress to be told their child is overweight and I don’t think it helps the obesity problem as parents feel like they are being unfairly criticised. Working out the BMI of children is ridiculous as their bodies are constantly changing. Any issues of a child’s weight should be raised through an appointment with a doctor or health visitor."

NO: Sue Milner, director of public health for Northumberland Care Trust

SUE Milner, said the voluntary measurement programme was a good way of keeping track of obesity problems in the region.

She said: "The voluntary measurement programme is essential. We need to know the extent of the obesity problem and we also need to know where the worst areas of obesity are, in particular, the schools with the highest rates of overweight children so that something can be done to curb the issue.

"It is important parents take on board what weight category their child falls into and they should welcome the voluntary measurement programme – it is of benefit to their child.

"Sometimes a parent’s loving gaze is so loving that it is not as critical a gaze as that of somebody else and perhaps the child is heavier than a parent thinks, which could lead to health problems.

"The voluntary measurement programme gives parents the opportunity to ensure their child maintains and healthy, balanced weight.

"I can understand why some parents may be apprehensive about the scheme but it is not used as a way of criticising parents about their child’s weight, it is used to educate children and parents about the need to keep a healthy weight."