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ONE IN FOUR three-year-olds in Ireland is now overweight, with around one in every 17 qualifying as obese, according to latest figures.
The results from the Growing Up in Ireland study launched by children’s minister Frances Fitzgerald yesterday showed a relationship between obesity rates and social class.
One in 20 toddlers born to parents in professional/managerial jobs were obese, compared to almost one in 11 children in the most disadvantaged group. However, weight was a problem across the board, with at least one-fifth of children in all groups overweight.
There were significant differences in the amount of ‘junk food’ a toddler was likely to consume, depending on the educational level of his or her parents.
Some 63 per cent of children whose mother had a lower secondary education or less consumed at least one portion of crisps. This was far higher than the number – 36 per cent – of children from parents with university degrees.
The study also examined the living conditions of the children. It found a dramatic rise in unemployment among their fathers, which had more than doubled since the last round of the study.
When the children were nine months old, six per cent of their fathers were unemployed. This has now risen to 14 per cent.
Sixty-one per cent of the families said they had difficulties making ends meet – a significant increase from two years ago, when the figure was 44 per cent.
Speaking at yesterday’s launch, Frances Fitzgerald said: “This research highlights the heavy economic strain being experienced by families today, which is deeply disturbing. The research shows what we already know on a personal basis, families are finding it very tough to make ends meet.”
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Was in town yesterday and couldn’t get over the hoops on some kids my god over eating junk food and no exercise
It’s disgusting. The poor kids have no hope of a healthy life if they’re obese by the age of 3!! Junk food, take aways and lack of exercise is just lazy parenting.
It makes me sick to see an overweight child. The child has no control over what they eat. All the blame goes to the parents. When I was young I used to get “treats” once/twice a week, and that was enough. They’re not treats if you get them every day.
Seen it myself parents over feeding there children it’s abuse
And if u say it to them as a friend or family….that will be the end of that relationship……and you see the kids getting fatter and fatter,all u hear is thats what they like and they can eat what they like…and the funny thing is you see the parent in pennys looking at a size 8-10 dress….
Mensah, that is so true. 8 yr old daughters ‘bet’ into a shapeless, unflattering size 12 Pennys dress, all bulges and red faced and scoffing a large popcorn and super-sized Coke, (cos Mammy &Daddy love you) and Mammy is with her in size 8 D&G skinny jeans, 120 hair colour and cut, with a small Coke Zero and a lettuce wrap from the deli!! A form of Child abuse really!
My comment seems to have ‘disappeared’. I’ll say it again so and this time explain.
Fat parents have fat children.
I believe that the root cause for a lot of children becoming overweight is that their parents have little or no education in the area of health and wellbeing. They do not understand food properly and they neglect exercise. As a result they become overweight adults and therefore overweight parents. Not having or seeking this education means that they will pass on their habits to their children – who they feed and to whom they set examples. (did I just use whom in a sentence, is that even correct, sounds correct??) anyway, I believe that if you want to curb childhood obesity then parents should be educated as much as their children on the subject because fat parents have fat children. It’s a classic “i blame the parents” argument but they don’t come out of the womb obese.
“to whom” is correct!
Get in.
Lazy parents have fat children.
Never in the history of mankinds existence have children been so inactive and overfed with the wrong foodstuffs.
education lesson 1
: you eat too much you get fat
not much else to it
If 3 years old is obese that means he must be fed with unreal amounts of greasy fare, metabolism in 3 years old body is rocketing and it seriously need a try to make them fat I think. My kid eats like horse and no ounce of fat on him obviously i never let him to junk food but chips or crisp every now and then no harm i trust if you take him to the playground later and do some football or running. Unless they have genetic problem them fair enough…
Overfeeding children is child abuse.
Teach people how to cook. The monthly food bill drops and the kids get the fuel they need without so much of the crap. Use more than just a frying pan and a microwave, and that’s a huge chunk of the problem gone.
Tax those donut munchers now.
Better not let my kids c this, they think they are hard done by not getting money for “lunch” everyday like lots of their school pals but if they thought kids were having regular take-aways I’d be the worst mother in the world EVER!!
A fat tax should only be applied if it is coupled with a reduction in the price of healthy food.
Sure is true….feeding kids junk food is the other of the day…
The fax tax is an over-simplification. Fat doesn’t always mean “unhealthy”, just as “low in calories” diesn’t necessarily mean “good for you”. The tax should apply to highly processed foods, and not to staples like milk and butter. Too much butter is bad, but butter itself isn’t a terrible thing. I’d trust it over Margery and low-fat spreads any day. Plus, I like toast…
Wow, they’re really pushing for the fat tax on this one. I’m not saying they’re wrong or anything but the only reason this is on the news non stop the last few weeks is of the upcoming budget.
The fat tax alone isn’t enough though, it is parents responsibility what they feed their children
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