Obesity – a growing problem

According to the report, Worldwide trends in childhood overweight and obesity, the problem of childhood obesity in South Africa is reaching epidemic proportions with an estimated one out of every five youngsters suffering from obesity.

The problem with an overweight or obese child is not about body image, but rather what major impacts obesity can cause on their health, now and in the future.

In the 90s, seeing children walking, cycling and playing on the streets was a norm, but living in a crime-ridden society where child rape barely makes front page news anymore, many parents would rather have their children playing indoors.

According to Sandton’s Little Kickers coordinator, Savvas Mallotas he believes that with many parents worrying about their children’s safety, they will often keep children from playing outdoors. Little Kickers is a fun-filled programme which is aimed at teaching young children fundamental football techniques and elementary life skills in a vibrant group-play and outdoor environment.

Mallotas said when Little Kickers was first established, pre-school obesity was very much a ‘hot’ issue and the time was ripe for a sports-orientated initiative such as the programme he runs.

“As a kid growing up we had an abundance of local parks to go to and generally felt safe and secure,” he said.

“The older I got the more unsafe parks became to the extent that they are all fenced off now and roads are all boomed off around the parks.”

With property prices rising, many young couples have had to opt living in high-rise flats or townhouse complexes which don’t have much space for children to play.

Savvas believes that children have the right to enjoy the facilities parks provide and to become more actively involved outdoors.

“Children are not only kept active but they are able to learn social skills,” he said. “Young children are able to learn how to work in teams at early stages of their lives. “Certain parks such as Ernest Ullmann Park and Hamilton Park, and a couple of others in surrounding areas are now being maintained giving opportunity for children to re-enter parks with adult supervision.”

He said if more children were to use parks this could put pressure on City Parks to maintain these green lungs.

Facts about obesity

n According to the South African Society For Obesity and Metabolism, childhood obesity is a strong predictor of adult obesity, particularly where both parents are obese.

n 22 percent of children aged one to nine years are overweight.

n 25 to 28 percent of adolescent girls are obese.

n 50 percent of South Africans will die before the age of 65 from a chronic disease.

n Six and a half million South Africans suffer from hypertension.

n Two million South Africans have diabetes.

n The biggest health concern in South Africa other than HIV/Aids is diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has discovered a clear link between obesity and diabetes.