New focus on family issues to tackle child obesity

A new approach is being taken in Scotland to try and reduce the number of overweight youngsters in the country.

Dumfries and Galloway has one of the worst records for child obesity in Scotland, and in an effort to reverse the trend, a new focus is being put on understanding the wider issues facing children and their families, rather than just weight.

Speaking to the BBC, the region's director for public health, Dr Derek Cox, believes that weight is only one factor that needs to be considered.

He said: "It is not just simply: 'Can we tackle their diet and their exercise levels?'. What we have got to do is to look at the family dynamics, how children are getting on in school, what the problems are in schools and what other problems the family have.

Unless all the issues are addressed, the children will never lose weight, Dr Cox added.

Figures released by the NHS at the end of 2011, which formed part of a study of more than one million children, showed that one in three 10 and 11 year olds were either overweight or obese.

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