Three-year-old dies from obesity

Yes, you read that correctly. A child just three (3) years old has died from complication arising from severe over-weight. I have heard the term "obesity epidemic" used in the US and not fully grasped the scope of the problem. The word "epidemic" I often associate with widespread death and disease. If this story is any indication, that may well come to pass, not just in the US but worldwide.

Heart failure, caused by obesity, has killed a child aged just three, it has been revealed.

as reported in the BBC News

This is a portion of a study on childhood obesity given by The Commons Health Committee.

[more resources]
Papers focus on obesity epidemic
Obesity epidemic
Fast Food Linked To Child Obesity
Obesity Trends

Hi Spectre!!

Thanx for the story - it was featured on the BBC news this morning, as your first link suggests. Dietary concerns in the UK *have* been quite "big news" (pardon the pun ) over here, the argument being along the lines of "Nanny state" v the "pragmatics" of health care and costs essentially.

*One* factor that may be allied to this (in UK) is about the perceived dangers of "playing outside", also covered by the BBC here. Ceertainly, "the school run" (by parents taking their children to school via car at "peak" times) has led to some traffic problems/ congestion.

An interesting (and scary) read Spectre. Thanx for the "heads up"!!

Originally posted by Genya
*One* factor that may be allied to this (in UK) is about the perceived dangers of "playing outside", also covered by the BBC

While this is true, and, indeed, the school run is out a hand in many areas, not walking to school doesn't have to be the reason for obeisty in our children.

Our whole culture for children has changed greatly in the last 2 or 3 decades. There should be no excuse. There are many clubs/societies available to children now, especially in cities/towns, a lot of them at minimal charge. Children may not be able to play safely in the streets, instead they can join sports clubs/youth clubs/after school clubs/activities run by local councils etc - the list is endless. What is different from the days of children playing outside safely is that the children now need their perents to be more involved, by taking them, maybe helping to run some of the clubs etc. Is that where things are falling apart?

I believe obeisity is across the spectrum, not just in a few children. Some of us just need to look in the mirror to knows that's true. Our society has become more affluent and we have become more content with life. Is obeisity the the price we pay?

Yes that is very sad indeed. A 3 year old dieing from obesity

very sad

The rason they call obesity an epidemic and very soon it will be acepted as illness is because like that the fast food and chain of food corporations will not be liable for it.

Originally posted by marg6043
The rason they call obesity an epidemic and very soon it will be acepted as illness is because like that the fast food and chain of food corporations will not be liable for it.

Very sad about any kid dieing.. The food chains etc should not be responsible for it. The parents are responsible for what they teach their kids about health. Adults are well informed and have tons of good information about health now-a-days.. Still the same ole thing .... Blame everyone but ourselves. ...

Originally posted by DaRAGE
Yes that is very sad indeed. A 3 year old dieing from obesity

very sad

As cruel as it may sound, at 3 years old you have put the blame purely on the parents.

I agree with you 100% we are what we eat, but sometimes In my case it feels like I have been on a diet all my life just to keep slim. Here in the south the childrens obesity and adult obesity is everywhere, sometimes I feel ashame for being slim, most of the people I know are obese or over their weight, and they are wonderful persons but they seem no to care about the way they look because everybody looks the same, One thing that bothers me is that some families are on wealthfare and have not money but they do have money to eat on a fast food restaurant. And on sundays the place of gathering after church is restaurants. It is incredible! Specialy all you can eat type.

The division between the "haves" and "have nots", the third world, etc, is really drawn out in these articles as well, isn't it?

When you consider the world, and the number of people who are dying through malnutrition/ starvation, it is quite obscene that - in the "west" and the "developed" world - we face obesity?

Just my �0.02...

Is it just as bad in the UK as it is here in the USA? Every town even some with pops in the hundreds has a fast food place.

Originally posted by chickenchecker0945
Is it just as bad in the UK as it is here in the USA? Every town even some with pops in the hundreds has a fast food place.

I can think of 10 fast food places within 15min drive from were i live. 5 of those McDs.

What is killing this nation is the fact that diet is a big busisness and misiformation in dieting is allowed the goverment does not do anything about it.
If you go to a bookstore you can find all the books on diet on the bestseller area.
You go to the stores in the diet area and you can find pill of any size and color on diet.
If you travel down the block is a fast foot restaurant for every chain available in the market. And that does not count for the home cooking and small restaurants in between.
And lets not forget the infamous and taky all you can eat! they are americas favourite this are the most antigienic and nasty of all restaurant you can eat in.
When I go for treat and eat at a restaurant I like to be service and serve because is my treat and I don't do it all the time so I like to enjoy been serve and treated well.

have any of you seen the day time talk shows like maury or jenny jones when they've had little kids and toddlers on who weigh like 80 plus pounds and their parents are in complete denial of what they're doing?

a lot of the parents on those shows pretty much had the same excuse, they felt like they were starving their child if they refused to buy them mcdonalds or something like that. so the parents buckle to their kids whining and the kid not know what they're doing to themselves...well you see where i'm going with this. some are so far in denial that they didnt think their kid was fat at all, only big...so sad. i feel sorry for these kids.


its one thing if they're teenagers, they'll go where ever they want for their food but any child as young as 3 is pretty much given what their parents want them to have. the child doesnt have much choice and i blame the parents for this. i view this no differently than i would child abuse. think of the fat kids who get made fun of and laughed at. think of the psychological damage these kids have to go through because their parents over feed them.

i've said it before and i'll say it again...some people should not be parents. becoming a parent should not be a right. some people have proven over and over and over and over and over and over and over that some people on this planet are totally incapable of performing their duties as parents properly. i dont want to place restricitons on people becoming parents but its becoming more apparent by the day that some people simply cannot handle having children.

ThePrankMonkey, I agree about the parenting (lack of) skills of these parents, but where are the health professionals in all this? Health visitors have a duty to care for all under 5's in UK. They are attached to every GP surgery, so why wasn't the condition of this child flagged up and appropriate action taken?

I agree with you but some obesity cases are cause by genes, others is nutrition, but understand when you see an obese child most of the time the entire family is obese to.

I know is wrong to judge others but sometimes I sit at a cafe located on our mall were we live and when I am bore I count how many people walk trough the door that is not big, and then I see what their order with their coffe and I think I am going to write about this because is very interesting.

My daughter have friends that eat only on restaurants, when she ask them if they have food to eat at home they said, yes they do but do not eat it, when she ask them if the mother or father cooks at home they said that they have not time, then she ask if they cook themself they reply that they don't know how to cook but they can bake cookies. Amazing!!!!!!!

Originally posted by ThePrankMonkey
have any of you seen the day time talk shows like maury or jenny jones when they've had little kids and toddlers on who weigh like 80 plus pounds and their parents are in complete denial of what they're doing?

I have seen a couple of those shows and I've been disgusted by those parents every single time. What are these people doing to these kids? I think this is CHILD ABUSE! Plain and simple. A 3 year old dying of obesity? What is the world coming to?

The juxtaposition of starvation and obesity in the world has never been in more stark contrast for me. It is like that old line my parents used to say to us, "Some child somewhere in the world would love to have that food that you left on your plate." That is one sentiment that has arisen when I have shared this story with people.

Another view, those who have children are forced to look at the damaged caused by using TV and video games as babysitters, eating fast food as a time-saver, and not allowing children to participate is sporting activites due to busy schedules. That has to hurt.

How much of this lack of physical activity is the result of populations moving toward more urban settings? I took it for granted growing up that everyone had trees to climb and fields in which to run. Even with that I, and my parents, felt I was indoors too much.

With the fast food issue, I have personal experience. Since making a deliberate effort to cut "burgers & fries" and sweets to one or two meals a week I have shed pounds I didn't realize I had packed -without increasing my physical activity at all!

"Tell me what you eat, and I�ll tell you what you are." Brillat-Savarin

OK, I probably would not know that quote unless I watched "Iron Chef" on TV!

I agree with you but some obesity cases are cause by genes, others is nutrition, but understand when you see an obese child most of the time the entire family is obese to.

genes does not guarantee a person is going to be or will be fat but will only have a harder time staying slim compared to others. this is not an excuse as i am like this but i dont blame my genes for this. and yes nutrition is a huge factor, eating nothing but fried potatoes and cheeseburgers will make you a very pudgy person. i used to work at an all you can eat place, now for the most part a LARGE majority of our customers were of average size but those who were really big ate nothing but the fried foods on the bar, everoyne else seemed to strike a balance...and from my own experiences i know nutrition plays a big role in this but so does physical activity or lack thereof. lots of kids arent getting as much physical activity as they once did. our lifestyle has become less physical than it once was, combine this with bigger and bigger portions of food, food that is fried or almost devoid of any actual nturitional content and guess what you get? i 've seen lots of fat familes with fat kids and its sad to see an entire family that is fat, i dont mean big or slightly overweight but FAT. as in "oh my god!" fat.

My daughter have friends that eat only on restaurants, when she ask them if they have food to eat at home they said, yes they do but do not eat it, when she ask them if the mother or father cooks at home they said that they have not time, then she ask if they cook themself they reply that they don't know how to cook but they can bake cookies. Amazing!!!!!!!

well again this goes back to what i was saying before...some people should not be parents. cooking is a part of living, whether you live by yourself, with a spouse or if you have kids. it is very important that both spouses know how to cook (and no a microwave doesnt count). and being a parent should mean you should definitely know how to cook. cooking is cheaper than eating out and can be a lot healthier, you can control what goes on the plate and how much of it. there's this thing called will power. those who want to live healthy can and have found ways to do it, those who dont care will show it in every aspect of their life. i know how to cook, in fact i learned at a very young age how to cook. it is a very important skill to have and as a matter of survival if the need should ever arrise. those who dont know how to cook would soon find themselves starving.

we once had a society where you did everything for yourself and your family with a little bit extra going to everyone else...now we have a society where everyone does it for you, cooking, the gathering of food...so there is an overabundance of food as well as sources to get that food. its nice sometimes but if people still had to go out and farm their own land and hunt their own meat they'd be a lot lighter than they are now. in some ways i enjy that "simpler way of life" even though there is nothing simple or easy about it. life is much simpler now, its much easier and its making us into a bloated species.

I am from the old school raise to be a wife with all the duties, ( I am a modern wife now)I may not be able to do that with my daughter and son but they can cook a meal anytime even if they don't know how to do a double stich, or use a sewing machine.

Originally posted by TPL
As cruel as it may sound, at 3 years old you have put the blame purely on the parents.

Yes, I have to agree. A three year old doesn't really have the cognitive abilities to decide for itself what is good for it to eat and isn't. I've heard of 'killing with kindness' but never thought I'd ever actually see it.