Season's biggest London - New York trend: Childhood Obesity
In the last 25 years, childhood obesity rates in London and New York City have more than doubled. Childhood obesity rates in these two cities are proportionally higher than their respective countries' national rates. This alarming epidemic threatens children’s well-being, imposes an ever-growing financial burden, and widens socio-economic and ethnic inequalities within these cities.
A new report A Tale of Two ObesCities: Comparing responses to childhood obesity in London and in New York by London Metropolitan University and the City University in New York, draws on their findings and presents a cogent strategy for the cities to decelerate the rise of childhood obesity and related inequality in health. The report is to be made public today at London’s City Hall.
The report compares municipal responses and recommended strategies for reversing these epidemics. Key findings of the report include:
- Nearly 23 per cent of London’s four years olds are overweight, rising to 36.3 per cent by the age of eleven.
- In New York 40 per cent of kids of a similar age are overweight.
- In both cities obesity rates are higher in boys than in girls.
- Poorest children have highest rates of obesity - both cities are characterised by high levels of income inequality.
‘London and New York face common challenges with highly mobile populations, child poverty, and overcrowding’ says Eileen O’Keefe Professor of Public Health, DASS, London Metropolitan University. ‘The report demonstrates that the two cities’ approaches towards tackling these issues are different, and so they could benefit from collaboration and learning from each other’s experiences.
The report launch is timely with the Mayor’s Health Inequalities Strategy nearing completion and including a focus on a number of issues explored during the collaboration.
Mayor Boris Johnson said: ‘A superb 2012 legacy for London would be the obliteration of childhood obesity. We are championing effective plans across the capital to fight this and I hope that working with New York will result in leaner, fitter children and families in both our cities.’
Click here to read the report
27 January 2010