It’s not our fault that our kids are fat, say parents

Jul 6 2011 by Cameron Hay, Paisley Daily Express

MUMS and dads claim they are ‘not to blame’ for their kids being fat, according to a new study.

In a poll carried out by experts at Benenden Healthcare, more than a third of parents conceded that their children are overweight and many of them singled out poor diet as the problem.

However, nearly a third of respondents insisted they are not at fault in any way for their child’s obesity issues.

Paul Keenan, of Benenden Healthcare, said: “For a third of parents in Scotland, the blame for their child being overweight appears to rest anywhere but on their own doorstep.

“It’s never too late to start taking a positive attitude towards your family’s health and wellbeing and there’s a wealth of information out there on the subject.”

Nearly half of parents who took part in the study think their child’s weight problem is down to an unhealthy diet, with one in five claiming their kids do no proper exercise to help reduce their weight.

But many mums and dads – 53 per cent – claim to encourage their kids to take part in physical activity.

Sister Jane Wallace, who specialises in obesity issues, blames the wider availability of fast food and fizzy drinks and playing indoors for the rising obesity epidemic.

Speaking during National Childhood Obesity Week, which runs until Sunday, she added: “The obesity epidemic currently raging has presented parents with a whole new set of challenges.

“By 2050, it’s predicted that 25 per cent of children will be obese – that is to say they’ll have a body mass index of over 30.

“This epidemic is becoming far too serious and it is perhaps time for legislation to be considered in order to tackle the problem that our society has created.”