Health fear for overweight children

Children approaching their teens are almost a stone heavier than their counterparts a generation ago, researchers revealed yesterday.

Although they are also taller than the youngsters of 30 years ago, the difference in height is nothing like enough to justify the weight gain.

The statistics will add to fears about a child obesity timebomb, with massive implications for health.

According to figures released at a conference in London yesterday, the shape of women has also changed dramatically over the years.

In 1920, the typical woman had a slender 32B-20-32 figure, which had become a curvy 34B-24-33 by 1960. Forty years later, the average vital statistics have swelled to a cuddly 36C-28-38.

Worryingly, 24 per cent of women are now clinically obese compared with only 8 per cent in 1980.

In the Britain of 2003, an increasing number of parents find themselves standing in the shadow of their offspring.

Children are growing faster than ever early in life and puberty is coming sooner - leading to even greater growth spurts.

Over 30 years, the height of boys of all ages has increased by around 1 per cent, and 1.5 per cent in girls.

But the average weight of all boys has increased by 6 per cent, with the figure even higher for girls at 7.5 per cent.

Stuart Smith, lead author of the study at the University of Nottingham,

said he was shocked by the extent of the rises in weight.

'The biggest changes were in 11 to 13-year-olds who are now around 10 to 12 per cent heavier,' he said. 'Although it is often said that children are getting fatter, we found the size of these increases surprising.

'Children are growing earlier and getting pubertal growth spurts earlier. The increases in height are relatively small and are now levelling out but can be explained by better nutrition and healthcare.

'But the average changes in weight were more significant and children's weight is likely to increase faster than their height in the near future.

'This is a concern if children keep getting fatter and fatter but the obvious reasons are poor diet and lack of exercise. Some of the statistics are quite frightening.'

Mr Smith, who presented the findings at an Ergonomics Society conference, revealed that 12- year- old girls now weigh an average of 7st 7lb. Three decades ago, a girl of that age was 12lb lighter.

Eight-year-old girls tend to be 4lb heavier than those of the same age in 1970, at 4st 7lb, while girls of 16 are likely to weigh 9st 6lb, rather than the 8st 9lb of 1970.

Boys aged 12 are 10lb heavier than in the past, tipping the scales at just over 7st, while at 16 they are 11lb heavier at 10st 7lb.

The trend is even more pronounced among the fattest children. The heaviest 5 per cent of seven-year-old girls, for example, weigh a whole stone more than the biggest 5 per cent in 1970.

The changes in height are less dramatic but still significant - particularly for parents trying to discipline a strapping teenager.

Boys of 13 are likely to stand 5ft 3in - two inches more than boys of the same age 30 years ago. Girls of 12 are nearly two inches taller at an average of 5ft 1in.

Boys and girls of 16 are both an inch taller than a generation ago, at 5 ft 9 in and 5 ft 5 in respectively.

Researchers made the comparisons by looking at two Government surveys. The first was a Department for Education study in 1970-71 looking at the height and weight of 15,000 children, while the second was carried out by the Department of Health between 1995 and 1997 and involved 6,700 youngsters.

Official figures show that 10 per cent of six-year-olds and 18 per cent of 15-year-olds are now classed as obese.

Professor Sir John Krebs, of the Food Standards Agency, has called for an urgent clampdown on junk food advertising aimed at children, warning that rising obesity could see the life expectancy of youngsters reduced to less than their parents.

Amanda Wynne, of the British Dietetic Association, said: 'It's an area of huge concern. These figures confirm the need for dramatic action in fighting child obesity and weight gain.

' There is an abundance of energy-dense fast foods available to children and it's very easy to over-consume them.

'We also need to look at policy initiatives in the area of physical activity for children or the next 30 years may be the same story.'