UK children lag behind worldwide counterparts in healthy development

Public health experts have said that poor access to nutritious food for schoolchildren and adolescents in the UK is the reason they are falling behind in health development, when compared with their counterparts in other wealthy nations.

An international analysis of weight and height records of children aged between five and 19 years, found that the UK’s standing slipped between 1985 and 2019, with 19 year old men falling from 28th to 39th tallest and women falling from 42nd to 49th.

The researchers reported that the study, which was based on data from 65 million children in 193 countries, showed a 20cm difference between the tallest and shortest nations, prompted by stark differences in childhood living conditions and nutrition.

Imperial College London’s professor of global environmental health, Majid Ezzati, said “The results mean that countries vary enormously in their ability to support their children and adolescents to become a healthy and prosperous generation.

“In many countries, children’s potential for healthy grown during school ages is not fulfilled, even in many of the countries where children seem to grow in a healthy way to five years of age.

“The UK, especially compared to its comparator high-income countries, does not do well in the healthy growth of school-aged children and adolescents. With large levels of child poverty in the country, a large proportion of children are not growing healthily, which is reflected in the national number.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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