IRISH CHILDREN now weigh up to 24kg more than they did in 1948, according to a new study which compared the height and weight of Irish children in the 1940s, the 1970s and in 2002.
The most dramatic increases in weight were found in 14-year- old boys who were 65 per cent heavier in 2002 (60.9kg) than in 1948 (37kg). Fourteen-year-old girls were also found to be 48 per cent heavier, weighing an average of 58.7kg in 2002 compared with 39.5kg in 1948.
The research also found that children have grown taller through the decades. For example, 14-year-old boys are on average 23cm taller now than in 1948 while 14-year-old girls are on average 15cm taller now than then.
The study, which was carried out by researchers at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College Cork (UCC), is published this week in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Commenting on the findings, the researchers point out that most of the increases in weight occurred from the 1970s onwards.
The authors also point out that children in Ireland might have been undernourished in 1948 but their nutritional intake was comparable with that of the rest of Europe because they were not subject to food rationing after the war.
“We must also remember that 20-30 years ago, our society was much more rural. More children worked on farms and walked to school,” said Prof Ivan Perry, lead author and professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at UCC.
However, Prof Perry suggested that the recession was unlikely to turn around the tide of obesity. “One can only speculate on the effect of the current economic downturn on obesity in Ireland but it’s likely as money gets tighter, people will fall back on cheap staples and fast food and the quality of their diet will go down,” he said.
When asked what extra measures might be necessary to prevent this, Prof Perry said, “There is no magic wand but the food sector needs to look at portion size – particularly regarding treats such as crisps, soft drinks and chocolate which are significantly larger than they were in the past.”
Recent studies carried out in Germany and Australia have also found that daily school exercise classes and active participation in sports are successful in tackling childhood obesity.
