Study To Combat Childhood Obesity In Malta Launched By Authorities
Maltese families are being asked to take part in a national strategy to combat childhood obesity.
With parental consent, the state will collect data from various families, allowing them to have accurate data about their children’s weight and lifestyle habits.
This national strategy, A Healthy Weight For Life, has been in force since 2012 with the scope of tackling the issue at a national level.
The results will lay the foundation for Maltese authorities to take action against the problem in kids from kindergarten-two to school year 11.
Authorities are also urging parents to participate. On measurement day, they will input their children’s height and weight on a website to help them understand whether they are overweight or not.
Afterwords, they will also be given access to National Dietary Guidelines to help them better understand what they should be eating for better health.
Childhood obesity growing problem in Malta
A recent report published by the World Health Organisation highlighted Malta’s rising childhood obesity numbers.
In the report, the WHO found that 40% and 36% of Maltese children and adolescents respectively are overweight.
Figures in the report, which reviewed 52 countries across the board, have shown that Maltese kids aged five to nine years were the third most overweight across all sexes, while adolescents aged 10 – 19 years placed second.
In addition, boys aged 11 and 15 years, were earmarked as the heaviest in the region, with 45% of 11-year-olds and 40% of 15-year-olds classed as overweight, if not obese.
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