Almost a quarter of GPs in the UK are faced with cases of obesity in children under the age of four. A new survey by MDDUS has confirmed that the problem affects even babies who are not yet a year old. MDDUS Chief Medical Officer John Holden stressed the seriousness of the situation.
The study found that 80% of doctors find talking to parents about their child’s weight extremely difficult. Doctors fear that such topics will make people angry, ashamed, or lead to official complaints.
Poverty, lack of healthy food, and lack of opportunities for children to be active are cited as reasons for the crisis.
Doctors also expressed concern about the uncontrolled use of weight loss injections (GLP-1). Two-thirds of doctors have seen patients who buy these drugs privately without a medical indication. Among them are people with eating disorders, which pose a threat to their lives. Despite this, 59% of those surveyed believe that these drugs will ultimately help the healthcare system save money.