- LONDON (AFP) - The death
of a three-year-old girl from heart failure brought on by her excess weight
was highlighted in a damning report by a British parliamentary committee
examining a feared obesity epidemic.
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- One expert quoted in the report by the House of Commons
Health Committee told of four children who required ventilatory assistance
at home for a respiratory condition because of their obese condition.
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- The children were "choking on their own fat",
said Doctor Sheila McKenzie, a specialist consultant at the Royal London
Hospital.
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- The report slammed the British government, the National
Health Service, food manufacturers and advertisers for not doing enough
to improve the nation's health and raise awareness of the risks of being
overweight or obese.
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- It warned that obese children could become the first
generation to die before their parents.
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- The committee was due to hold a press conference later
Thursday to talk about the findings of their year-long inquiry.
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- Among its recommendations were a voluntary withdrawal
of television advertising of junk food to children, and a clamp-down on
high-profile campaigns using sports stars and celebrities to promote crisps
and chocolate.
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- Obesity in Britain has grown by almost 400 percent in
25 years, with three-quarters of adults now overweight or obese, the report
said.
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- England has the fastest growing obesity problem in Europe,
with childhood obesity tripling in 20 years.
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- The report calculated that being overweight or obese
costs the nation 7.4 billion pounds (11.1 billion euros, 13.4 billion dollars)
a year.
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