Burger babies: the future is fat

Playstation versus playground

The rise in obesity levels in recent years has been blamed on a combination of inactivity and consumption of excess sugary and fatty foods. Children are eating more calories than necessary, are increasingly spending time plugged into computer games, and are not doing enough physical exercise.

Research into the connection between childhood obesity and social class has shown that children from low socioeconomic groups are more likely to be obese and remain overweight or obese throughout early adulthood. Overweight children in China, however, are seen as a sign of prosperity. Although some people are more genetically susceptible than others to becoming obese, the rise in obesity has been too rapid to be attributed to genetic factors.

Lack of physical exercise has always been criticised in schools in the United Kingdom, and the government aims to get …