Public Health: Prevention in Practice

1. Tackling Child Obesity:
shaping the future
Paul Sacher, PhD, RD
Research and Development Officer, Mytime Active
Honorary Research Associate, UCL

2. All kids are getting bigger
1 in 3 children (aged 2-15) in the UK
are overweight or obese
= 4 million children

3. Tomorrow’s parents
40-70%
of obese
children
will become
obese adults
Reilly et al, 2003

4. Batch J.A. & Baur L.A. (2005)
Obesity - not just a health problem for adults

5. Costs
• £5.1 billion spent on overweight and
obesity related ill-health in 2014-15
• Greatest burden for those living in low
socioeconomic circumstances

6. Government in(action)
• Child obesity strategy – missed
opportunity
• Primarily focussed on primary prevention
• No focus on management (secondary
prevention) of those already overweight
or obese
– Despite extensive evidence base and NICE
recommendations

7. Prevention or management?
• Both
• Balance needs to be addressed
• 44% of Local Authorities are not
providing any child weight
management services (PHE, 2016)

8. MEND
• Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do it!
• Multicomponent child weight
management programme

9. Extensive scientific evaluation
(Sacher et al. Obesity.
2010)

10. Family education works

11. Areas for improvement
• Food industry
• Government
• Start the conversation – stop fat
shaming and weight stigma
• Ensure all children with overweight or
obese have access to NICE
recommended treatment

12. Let’s debate…..
@drpaulsacher
www.mytimeactive.co.uk