9 June 2009

Adult diseases target children

Lack of precaution and carelessness could see nine in ten adults in the UK suffering from obesity by 2050 according to the NHS.

Already, England has the highest rate of obesity in Europe with a staggering 65% of men and 56% of women being overweight.

This has led to a rise in the number of obese children too. Alarming NHS statistics show that one in three children under the age of 15 is obese. 

Children in England are now being diagnosed with diseases like diabetes and hypertension, earlier predominantly, if not solely, seen in adults.

According to Dr. Mimi Giri, member of Obesity Society and The European Association for the Study of Diabetes, this twin epidemic, sometimes referred to as ‘diabesity’ is due to the drastic change in youth lifestyle due to technology.

Dr.Giri says: “Sudden increase in type 2 diabetes is a classic example of the effect of the obesity epidemic. Up to 70% of new onset diabetes is now type 2.”

Type 2 diabetes and hypertension `are increasingly affecting children below the age of 15. Statistics also show that the number of under- fives with diabetes will double in the next ten years.