Global campaign to tackle child obesity
Tuesday May 20th, 2014
A new worldwide drive to tackle the increasing problem of childhood obesity was launched yesterday.
The
drive was announced by World Health Organisation Dr Margaret Chan at the
World Health Assembly in Geneva.
Proposals for action are set to emerge from a new Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity.
This will be chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, chief science advisor in New Zealand, and by Dr Sania Nishtar, founder of Heartfile in Pakistan.
The commission is due to deliver a report early next year.
Dr Chan told delegates: "I am deeply concerned by the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity in every region of the world, with the increase fastest in low- and middle-income countries.
"In the African region alone, the number of overweight children increased from four million in 1990 to ten million in 2012. This is worrisome.
"As the 2014 World Health Statistics report bluntly states: Our children are getting fatter."
Tags: Africa | Child Health | Diet & Food | World Health
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