Youth Health and Wellness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above illustration shows the increase in obesity in year six children from 1990 to 2017/18. This is a drastic change that needs addressing as soon as possible. 

 

The body we have is a direct result of our own habits and behaviours. If we are overweight, it is because we have a habit of eating too many calories each day, or not moving enough each day to burn extra calories.

 

In this image, you can see the effects of obesity in childhood which can cause life-long health issues.

 

The best time to start good habits is when people

are young. If you think of when you started

cleaning your teeth, the habit is solidified when

you are a child and lasts a lifetime. 

 

The same can be done with food and eating habits.

Which is why everyone knows people who can 

seemingly keep from putting  weight on no matter

what they do. 

 

The NHS is starting to feel the burden of these

eating habits as well, with considerable resources being put to treating preventable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Obesity, through direct medical costs and its impact on productivity, costs the UK 3% of its GDP, equivalent to £60 billion in 2018. Today’s children are tomorrow’s workforce and the parents of future generations. Their health will be a deciding factor in whether the UK is healthy and prosperous in the future.

 

Through education, it is possible to empower families and their children to know which decisions to make to grow up healthy and happy with a balanced relationship with food and weight.