Childhood obesity a myth (1 Viewer)

[boris]

Childhood obesity epidemic a myth, says research

The Australian
January 09, 2009 04:05am

THE rise in childhood obesity has halted, defying warnings that it is an "epidemic" that is out of control.
Obesity rates among children levelled off around 1998 and have remained steady ever since, exploding the myth that children are becoming more overweight than ever before.

Research by the University of South Australia found the alarming rise in the percentage of children who were overweight or obese recorded through the 1980s and much of the 1990s had stalled.

Timothy Olds from the SA University School of Health Sciences analysed 27 Australian studies of childhood weight status between 1985 and 2007 and found a "clear plateau" in recent obesity data.

The analysis concluded that overweight and obesity prevalence rates among children had settled at 23-24 per cent and 5-6 per cent respectively for the past five to 10 years, The Australian reports.

"These findings directly contradict assertions in the published literature and the popular press that the prevalence of pediatric overweight and obesity in Australia is increasing exponentially," it said.

Even in recent years, some researchers have predicted childhood obesity would reach adult prevalence levels within 30 years.

"People are always reluctant to let go a notion which is their life work," Professor Olds said.

"I include myself in that because I've written quite a few papers predicting that exponential increase, but we've got to look at the facts and the facts don't bear that out."

Last year, comparative data published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and a separate analysis by University of Sydney associate professor Jenny O'Dea also challenged the popular perception that children were becoming fatter by the year.

Professor Olds said some still held to that viewpoint because they had a lot invested in childhood obesity.

"It's a sensational story for the media, academics have built careers in dealing with and treating childhood obesity and, frankly, the success of their grants depends on a sense that it's a national crisis that's continuing," he said.

lol

 

[Somnolence]

It's still appalling when you come across it. Idiot parents don't know how to say no to their children.

 

[cxlxoxk]

Tell me about it (how stupid a lot of parents are), my mom buys mcdonalds/chinese takeaway about twice a week, so i eat sandwiches instead (pretty much the only thing i know how to make), the funny thing is, she has bought them for the past 3 years, and hasn't learn that no means no, and food (unhealthy as it may be) ends up being wasted, in trying to teach her a lesson or two about proper diet/nutrition =(.

 

[roar84eighty]

hi5 to those fat kids i love maccas

 

[x3.eddayyeeee]

even if its not an 'epidemic' ; there still is a seemingly large number of overweight kids going around these days. O__O"

 

[allen1]

hi5 to those fat kids i love maccas

another fat idiot

 

[banco55]

Geez only close to 30 % of children are overweight or obese. Crisis averted. Is it just me or does 30 % still sound like a pretty disgraceful figure? Kids have faster metabolisms then adults and that many of them shouldn't be overweight unless they are lazy and eat too much.

 

[Trefoil]

It's not a fucking myth, it's called a logistic curve: Logistic function - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anybody who says a 30% obesity rate isn't an epidemic is a fucking moron or on the food company payroll.

 

[KFunk]

Anybody who says a 30% obesity rate isn't an epidemic is a fucking moron or on the food company payroll.

Agreed.

 

[boris]

It's not a fucking myth, it's called a logistic curve: Logistic function - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anybody who says a 30% obesity rate isn't an epidemic is a fucking moron or on the food company payroll.

Oh yeah the title is pretty misleading. The story is about the fact that the amount of obesity etc in children is not increasing, like it is portrayed in the media. Obesity rates have stopping increasing since 1998 or something. But still 30% overweightedness