Health: Advice on ... Obesity

Q: How many young people are classed as obese?

The latest Health Survey for England shows that 19.5 per cent of young people aged 11 to 15 were obese, with a further 15.7 being classed as overweight, in 2008. Between 1995 and 2008, obesity levels among boys of this age increased by more than six percentage points to 20.6 per cent, one of the highest levels recorded. Obesity among girls rose from 15.5 to 18.3 per cent.

The Foresight report, Tackling Obesities: Future Choices, published in October 2007, predicted that if no action was taken, approximately a quarter of people under 20 would be obese by 2050.

Q: What are the health risks for obese teenagers?

Obesity in young people can reduce life expectancy by up to nine years, and young people who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop a range of health problems in later life. These include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, joint pains and back ache, and breathing conditions such as asthma.

Being overweight can also affect a young person's self-esteem as they may face teasing or bullying from their peers about their weight. This in turn can lead to other medical conditions such as depression.

Q: What should youth workers do if they have serious concerns about a young person's weight?

Obesity is such a sensitive issue that many young people feel too self-conscious to discuss it with anyone.

Paul Chadwick, clinical director of the childhood obesity programme Mend, recommends giving young people the space and time to raise the issue themselves. Running group sessions on healthy eating can introduce the topic in a generalised way.

"Create opportunities for the young people to feel comfortable, and to open up in their heads that the youth worker is sensitive and would be a helpful person to talk to about their weight," he advises.

If you run a sports activity and a young person is struggling because of their size, you could ask them what they found challenging and perhaps suggest ways that they might be able to increase their fitness, such as walking to school instead of taking the bus.

In extreme circumstances, youth workers should think about contacting social services if they believe the weight problem is detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the young person.

But Chadwick recommends youth workers should undertake proper training on helping young people who are overweight: "If you're going to talk about it, make sure you know what you're talking about. Get trained. Everybody thinks they know about obesity, but it's actually an incredibly complicated condition."

Q: What steps can youth workers take to promote a healthy lifestyle?

Children and young people should be doing at least an hour of physical activity each day, but four out of 10 boys and six out of 10 girls do not reach this target, according to healthcare organisation Bupa. It advises increasing the level of exercise by offering fun activities such as a trip to an adventure park or an ice-skating rink, a bike ride or a game of football.

Kath Sharman, founder of Sheffield-based youth obesity project Shine, also recommends youth workers use The Eatwell Plate on the Food Standards Agency website to help young people understand the types and proportions of foods young people need to stay healthy.

Games such as guessing the right portions after "cook-and-eat" sessions can also help with portion control.

If young people usually choose to opt out of sporting activities, Sharman advises talking to them to determine the reasons why. "Have a chat and find out what they like to do, then find a sport that really appeals to them," she advises.

And if young people are reluctant to go swimming, for example, allow them to wear T-shirts: "Adapt the activity to suit their needs."

More Information

- Mend (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition ... Do it!) is a social enterprise dedicated to reducing obesity levels. www.mendprogramme.org

- Shine (Self Help, Independence, Nutrition and Exercise) helps obese young people lose weight and develop confidence. www.shine4u.org

- The National Obesity Forum offers guidelines, education and training on obesity management. www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk

- The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has guidelines on the treatment of obesity. www.nice.org.uk