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2004/05/27
The shocking case was highlighted
in a scathing report on obesity by MPs which says too little
has been done to tackle
the epidemic.
The case was revealed by doctors at the Royal
London Hospital.
Specialists there have also seen four children "choked by their fat" who need
breathing assistance to treat sleep disorders caused by blocked airways.
The
Commons Health Committee warned that obese children could become the first generation
to die before their parents.
The report warns obesity has grown by almost 400%
in 25 years, with three-quarters of adults now overweight or obese.
England has
the fastest growing obesity problem in Europe, with childhood obesity tripling
in 20 years.
'Devastated'
Dr Sheila McKenzie, a consultant paediatrician at the
Royal London, told the Health Select Committee: "In the past two years one child
at the age of three has died of heart failure secondary to extreme obesity."
She
said the four cases of sleep apnoea that she had seen could be indicative of
further cases.
The condition occurs when the airways become blocked by folds
of fat. "In other words, they are being choked by their own fat," she added.
"Were
we able to study all severely obese children, I am confident we would identify
many more with obstructive sleep apnoea." The Daily Mail reported that the three-year-old
who died of heart failure was a Bengali girl from east London who should have
weighed around 2st 4lb, but instead had a Body Mass Index (BMI) which equated
to around 6st.
BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square
of your height in metres.
Dr Nigel Meadows, a consultant paediatrician at the
Royal London Hospital, told the newspaper: "It was a shocking case."
"You
don't
imagine your kid is just going to die of obesity. The parents were devastated."
"Some
may say the parents are responsible, but if a child is demanding food it can
be very difficult to refuse it."
Doctors at the hospital also reported many young
patients had abnormally high insulin levels, an indicator for Type 2 diabetes,
which is related to obesity.
Targeted marketing
The report attacked the government,
NHS, the food industry and advertisers for failing to do enough to address the
growing problem of obesity.
It made almost 70 recommendations about what should
be done, focussing on the importance of ensuring children eat well and learn
about nutrition.
It also called for a voluntary industry ban on junk food ads
to children, warning a statutory ban should be introduced if that failed.
Story from BBC NEWS
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