September 20, 2016
Taranaki study confirms childhood fat risk
Tamariki carrying extra weight may also carry the seeds of future problems like diabetes, heart, and liver disease.
That's the conclusion of a ground-breaking study of children and adolescents involved in Sport Taranaki's Whanau Pakari strategy for managing obesity.
Paediatrician and lead researcher Dr Yvonne Anderson says it found the excess weight was accompanied by other negative health indicators.
She says Whanau Pakari encourages whanau lifestyle changes through a wraparound service involving home visits to whanau.
"The people talk about the fact there is no silver bullet here but being mindful of the fact children shouldn't eat more than three teaspoons of sugar a day is really important and I think that is all part of that message around healthy lifestyle change," Dr Anderson says.
An estimated 85,000 New Zealand children aged from 2 to 14 are considered obese.
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