Parents are 'killing fat kids with kindness'

LONDON: - Parents who let their overweight children eat junk food and play video games are 'killing them with kindness', lawmakers in Britain warned.

A series of new television advertisements are set to feature children saying they will die early of heart disease or diabetes because of their parents' actions.

One of the advertisements features a picture of three youngsters with the caption: 'One of us will die of heart disease or diabetes when we're older because of the foods our parents let us eat now,' the Daily Mail reported.

Another advertisement headlined 'Killing with kindness', says: 'It's hard to say no to your kids, but if you give in every time, you're not being kind, you're killing with kindness. Kids who eat the wrong sorts of food and sit around all day are more likely to get heart disease, cancer, diabetes and to die young. Some will die younger than their parents.'

Parents will be urged to let children play outdoors, and to lead more active lifestyles themselves.

Officials said the campaign will inform parents rather than issuing orders and 'finger wagging', the Daily Telegraph said.

The campaign is based on an unpublished report by the Department of Health and will point out the need for three million young families to be better informed about nutrition to prevent their children from becoming obese.

The document, a briefing on the government's Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives strategy, details how parents are helping to establish bad habits in their offspring, The Guardian said.

A Department of Health spokesman said: 'Only 6per cent of people know that being overweight or obese can lead to cancer and diabetes. Our strategy for tackling obesity is helping everyone lead healthier lives.

'The new campaign is all about offering support to parents who want to help their children - and themselves - eat more healthily and be more active.'

The initiative has found support.

Professor Jack Winkler, a nutrition policy expert at London Metropolitan University, said: 'The government is right to point out this uncomfortable truth.

'Almost a quarter of kids are already overweight by the time they arrive at primary school, which is the parents' responsibility. So we need to do something about parents, too.'

Mr Tam Fry, of the Childhood Growth Foundation, which monitors children's weight, added: 'We're really concerned that parents are using sweets, chocolates and fizzy drinks to reward their children.

'Those less-than-healthy foods are the last rewards they should turn to, because they are storing up problems for their children's future health.'