Educating China’s elderly to fight obesity in the young

Academics from the University of Birmingham are engaging with grandparents in China, to help tackle the increasing problem of obesity amongst Chinese children in a trailblazing public health programme. Although there are various factors that may contribute to the development of overweight or obesity in children, a child's family life plays an important role. University of Birmingham research shows that Chinese children who are mainly cared for by their grandparents are more than twice as likely to be overweight or obese, compared with those who are mainly looked after by their parents or other adults. It has been estimated that over 30million children between the ages of seven and 18 years are overweight or obese in China. However, until now, rigorously developed and evaluated prevention interventions have remained scarce. Many grandparents in China believe that being heavy at a young age will benefit a child as they grow old and they often use food as a way to express love and care. This behaviour, coupled with the fact that many Chinese grandparents have lived through famine, perpetuates the issue of childhood obesity in China.