Inside U. K. Britain fights the battle of the bulge By Richard Payne	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
肥満との戦い 日が暮れるまで運動場でボールを追いかけたのは遠い昔のこと。今の子供たちは、物騒だからと外では遊ばずに家でテレビを見たり、友達を呼んでパソコンゲームをするのが好き。その上、脂っこいジャンクフードを好んで食べる。これでは太るのも当然だ。だが、このままでは、肥満がイギリスの国家的大問題に発展する恐れが - - 。

Britons can take some comfort from the fact that, at the start of 2003, they aren't the only nationality suffering from overdoing the turkey and mince pies during Christmas. Like a good number of people the world over, we are vowing to eat less junk food and do more exercise to get in shape for lying on the beaches this summer.

But however much we tell ourselves this year will be different to the last, we know, in our heart of hearts, that it won't be and that soon we'll be back in our old, unfit routines. This doesn't just apply to adults but, increasingly, to children and young people who are becoming more overweight and obese than ever before. Britain is turning into a nation of fatties!

Teenagers have become a generation of couch potatoes, preferring to watch television than to take part in any form of sport. A nationwide survey carried out for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award - a project aimed at helping youngsters develop new skills and opportunities as they approach adulthood - found that an amazing 99 percent of children aged between 14 and 19 listed watching the box as their favorite pastime. Listening to music, having friends round and playing computer games followed closely behind, none of them, of course, requiring a lot of effort.

So what's behind this lazy attitude? Well, when I was younger, I thought nothing of going to the nearby playing fields and kicking a football around with friends until we could no longer see in the dark. Then we'd cycle home - both good forms of exercise.

Today's children are far more aware of the potential dangers of playing outdoors without adult supervision. A number of high-profile abductions and even murders of youngsters have recently added to the fears. One in five children questioned in the survey said they felt unsafe on the streets and were worried the problems would get worse in the next 10 years.

Parents and guardians prefer to drive their children to events, clubs or school these days rather than let them travel alone. Sitting in a car might be safer but it's also not giving the children any exercise.

Another reason for the fat explosion is advertising. Food producers know that if they capture the children's market, they can make huge profits as youngsters urge parents to buy a particular brand of food or drink. With fast food outlets spread across every major town and city, the temptation to buy unhealthy, fatty foods has never been greater.

Friends of mine are struggling to make sport a regular part of the average week for their children. "TV and computers are much more dominant in my children's lives than they ever were in mine," says one, Sally Abrahams. "To get them out for a cycle ride with their father and me is a heck of an effort. They kick a ball about in the school playground some days and play for the school side, but that's about it. They're not what you'd call fat, but I'm aware of keeping a close eye on their weight and giving them the right diet."

A lot of parents aren't, though, which is why some experts claim levels of obesity among children has reached "epidemic" proportions. The predictions are children who are overweight now are much more likely to carry that fat into adulthood than they were 20 years ago. The risk of heart disease, diabetes and even psychological problems are much higher as a result.

Independent research, based on a study of 694 children, found that one in three girls aged 11 was overweight and more than one in eight was obese. Boys of the same age had similar problems, with 27 percent overweight and one in five obese. Overall, 22 percent of boys and girls aged seven to 11 were overweight, with 11 percent of girls and 12 percent of all boys described as obese - more than double the figure just a decade ago.

All this obesity is estimated to be costing Britain a massive 2.5 billion pounds(¥480 billion) every year. That's costs related to treating people with fat-related illnesses as well as lost work through sick leave.

The government here is being urged to take swift action to improve people's health education and to make sports facilities more affordable for people on lower incomes. It's claimed that unless we act now, within 10 years the problem will be as bad as it is in America where a quarter of adults are obese. Food for thought, indeed.

Shukan ST: Jan. 17, 2003

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