James-bond
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UK tops league of shame for unhealthy children: We're among the worst in the West for obesity and breastfeeding
PUBLISHED: 00:11 GMT, 15 March 2018 | UPDATED: 01:43 GMT, 15 March 2018
The UK is one of the unhealthiest nations for children in the Western world, a report has found.
Our breastfeeding rates are lower than most other countries, while childhood obesity rates are significantly higher.
Baby girls in the UK have the shortest life expectancies in Western Europe, and die an average of three years earlier than girls in Spain.
The first international analysis has found the UK lagging behind most other developed countries in key measures of child health.
The UK is one of the unhealthiest nations for children in the Western world, a report has found
Undertaken by the Nuffield Trust think-tank, it examined 16 indicators including breastfeeding rates, obesity, life expectancy and birth defects caused by a lack of folic acid.
The UK’s breastfeeding rates were found to be the worst out of the 14 countries with data available, with only 1 per cent of babies given breast milk exclusively at five months.
This compares with 34 per cent in Portugal, 26 per cent in Canada, 18 per cent in the Netherlands and 12 per cent in Belgium.
Obesity rates for girls meanwhile were the second worst of 15 countries, only behind the US. A total of 29.2 per cent of girls under 18 in the UK are classed as overweight or obese.
For boys the figure is slightly lower at 26.1 per cent, and this is the eighth worst.
The analysis also found that rates of a common birth defect linked to a lack of folic acid were the second highest after France. An average of 12.8 babies out of 10,000 in the UK are born with neural tube defects, which affect the brain, spine or spinal cord.
Our breastfeeding rates are lower than most other countries, while childhood obesity rates are significantly higher (file photo)
This is three times the rate of Spain where only four babies out of 10,000 are affected and foods are more commonly fortified with folic acid.
Lead author Dr Ronny Cheung said: ‘While international comparisons of health outcomes should be handled with care, this research has an unequivocal message: we must do much better for our children and young people.’
Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said: ‘Child health is notably absent from much policy thinking at the moment and we are now falling behind our peers when it comes to several vital measures. It’s time for policymakers to take child health seriously before our somewhat mediocre international standing becomes even worse.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...e-shame-unhealthy-children.html#ixzz59pWqM31b
- The UK is one of the unhealthiest nations for children in the Western world
- Report found our breastfeeding rates are lower than most other countries
- International analysis found UK lags behind most other developed countries
PUBLISHED: 00:11 GMT, 15 March 2018 | UPDATED: 01:43 GMT, 15 March 2018
The UK is one of the unhealthiest nations for children in the Western world, a report has found.
Our breastfeeding rates are lower than most other countries, while childhood obesity rates are significantly higher.
Baby girls in the UK have the shortest life expectancies in Western Europe, and die an average of three years earlier than girls in Spain.
The first international analysis has found the UK lagging behind most other developed countries in key measures of child health.
The UK is one of the unhealthiest nations for children in the Western world, a report has found
Undertaken by the Nuffield Trust think-tank, it examined 16 indicators including breastfeeding rates, obesity, life expectancy and birth defects caused by a lack of folic acid.
The UK’s breastfeeding rates were found to be the worst out of the 14 countries with data available, with only 1 per cent of babies given breast milk exclusively at five months.
This compares with 34 per cent in Portugal, 26 per cent in Canada, 18 per cent in the Netherlands and 12 per cent in Belgium.
Obesity rates for girls meanwhile were the second worst of 15 countries, only behind the US. A total of 29.2 per cent of girls under 18 in the UK are classed as overweight or obese.
For boys the figure is slightly lower at 26.1 per cent, and this is the eighth worst.
The analysis also found that rates of a common birth defect linked to a lack of folic acid were the second highest after France. An average of 12.8 babies out of 10,000 in the UK are born with neural tube defects, which affect the brain, spine or spinal cord.
Our breastfeeding rates are lower than most other countries, while childhood obesity rates are significantly higher (file photo)
This is three times the rate of Spain where only four babies out of 10,000 are affected and foods are more commonly fortified with folic acid.
Lead author Dr Ronny Cheung said: ‘While international comparisons of health outcomes should be handled with care, this research has an unequivocal message: we must do much better for our children and young people.’
Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said: ‘Child health is notably absent from much policy thinking at the moment and we are now falling behind our peers when it comes to several vital measures. It’s time for policymakers to take child health seriously before our somewhat mediocre international standing becomes even worse.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...e-shame-unhealthy-children.html#ixzz59pWqM31b