Childhood obesity is a growing problem among the urban rich
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Madarina Julia
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Childhood obesity levels are still low, but growing fast.Madarina Julia |
Nine-year old Yanto was brought to a paediatric endocrinologist because of his small penis. His parents had taken him to the traditional healer for his ritual circumcision, and panicked when the man had difficulty reaching his ‘invisible’ penis. On examination, his penis length was normal, but it was buried deep in the layers of lower belly fat. Yanto dislikes sport, and no one asks him to join their games because he is too slow. He spends his leisure time playing computer games.
Dewi is a nice 14-year old girl, weighing 75 kilograms. She has low self-esteem because her school friends tease her for being fat. Her mother says she was a big baby. Her wealthy family sends her everywhere she needs to go with a driver, because it is too far or dangerous to walk or bike. She too is teased for being poor at sports.
Being born rich does not guarantee a healthier life. The risk of obesity for children in wealthy families is at least five times higher than for children born in less prosperous conditions. A 1999 study by myself and a group of colleagues in Yogyakarta showed that the prevalence of obesity in children aged six to eight years living in well-off urban households was 6.7 per cent, while
