Half of overweight or obese children live in Asia. The World Health Organization calls for more political action.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm. The number of children affected by overweight or obesity in the world has exceeded the 40 million mark. The Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO) handed this January 25 its final report. It submits 6 recommendations to governments. The objective is to reverse the curve of overweight among the youngest.
The trend is cause for alarm: between 1990 and 2014, the proportion of obese under 5s rose from 4.8% to 6.1%. In low- and middle-income countries, the number of children affected has doubled.
An obesogenic environment
“We need stronger political commitment to respond to the global challenge of childhood overweight and obesity,” said Sir Peter Gluckman, co-director of ECHO. The final report proposes a series of recommendations to decision-makers, and tackles the problem at its root: children under 5 years old.
The initial observation is chilling: between junk food and sugary drinks, the environment of the youngest has become “obesogenic”, that is to say, it promotes the development of overweight. Everything therefore needs to be rebuilt, starting with the promotion of foods with a healthy nutritional profile. For this, the Commission proposes the introduction of taxes on food that has no nutritional value.
Food is at the heart of the strategy proposed by the ECHO commission. Its members suggest that programs be put in place at school, through the development of quality standards for school meals and better information on health and nutrition.
This action at school level must be coupled with early support at home, combining the promotion of good habits (breastfeeding, eating less fat, less sugar and less salt) and the availability of healthy foods.
More physical activity
Eating behavior is not the only problem to be solved. The Commission also considers that a sedentary lifestyle must be eradicated from an early age, by setting up physical activity programs at home or in school.
In the event that overweight is declared despite everything, the experts propose the development of personalized services, with families. Because children are not the only ones to educate: parents too. And actions must unfold from the moment of design, according to the report. Prevention of low or high birth weight, prematurity or other complications are all elements that contribute to the good health of the very young.
“WHO must work with governments to put in place a broad set of measures that address the environmental causes of obesity and overweight, and help give children a healthy start to a healthy life. they deserve,” concludes Sir Peter Gluckman. Because the consequences of childhood obesity are devastating and long-lasting.
The workload facing the governments of the world is considerable: lhalf obese or overweight childrenweight live in Asia, a quarter in Africa.
.