More than 1 in 4 children ‘on diets’ even if they are a healthy weight, study finds

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It found a “significant increase over time” in the proportion of children reporting weight loss attempts, from 21.4 per cent in 1997/98 to 26.4 per cent in 2015/16. The rise in weight loss attempts among children with a healthy weight raises concerns and suggests greater attention is needed to target weight control messages appropriately Researchers The experts said: “A previous survey found that the provision of NCMP weight feedback increased recognition of childhood overweight and encouraged some parents to seek help, but it is also plausible that this prompted greater self-management.” They said they were concerned that the increase in weight loss attempts “has not been matched by an increase in the provision of weight management services in England, creating a risk of unsupervised and potentially inappropriate weight control behaviours. “Meanwhile, the rise in weight loss attempts among children with a healthy weight raises concerns and suggests greater attention is needed to target weight control messages appropriately.” The latest NCMP data for England shows that 14.4 per cent of children in Reception class were obese in 2020/21, up from 9.9 per cent in 2019/20. It is concerning that children with a healthy weight appear to be 'dieting' and they should be gently told to snap out of it Tam Fry, National Obesity Forum From 2009/10 to 2011/12, among older children, the frequency of weight loss attempts increased from just over 4 per cent to 57.5 per cent among those who were overweight, and from nearly 31.5 per cent to almost 82 per cent among those who were obese.