‘My daughter was labelled obese in government letter – now she’s skipping meals’

A UK mum has expressed her concern after her daughter was labelled “obese” in a government letter, causing her to become “weight-obsessed”.

Shocking new statistics in the UK have revealed the pandemic has fuelled record levels of childhood obesity after kids stuck in lockdown increased the amount of snacks they were eating.

Figures now show the lockdowns contributed to the number of overweight children starting school rocketing by 45 per cent, The Sun reports.

UK experts warn it will take years to reverse the impact of Covid measures, with more letters than ever before sent to parents from school health staff to inform them that their children are obese.

Mum Stuetina says football-mad Sienna now avoids meals and struggles with self-esteem issues after they received a letter last year. Picture: Hook News

Kim Roberts, chief executive of childhood charity HENRY (Health, Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young), which helped Leeds become the first UK city to lower its rates of childhood obesity, warns there is an “urgent need to support families”.

“It’s much harder to reverse obesity once it’s established, so we need to act now,” she said.

“We know parents are doing the best they can, often in very challenging circumstances.

“Often the place we need to start is in supporting parents so they have the confidence, skills and resilience to make changes such as limiting their kids’ screen time, making sure children get active play time or swapping high-fat, high-sugar snacks for healthier alternatives.”

But as GPs call for drastic action, parents argue the system is broken.

Teacher Stuetina Avery Hawkins, 31, lives in Milton Keyes, northwest of London, with her four children: Miyla, 13, Sienna, 8, and 16-month-old twins Finley and Wyatt.

Sienna was labelled obese in a government letter. Picture: Hook News

She says football-mad Sienna now avoids meals and struggles with self-esteem issues after the family received a letter last year.

Classed as obese, Sienna was measured at 106cm and 21kg.

“When Sienna handed me a letter from her school last September, I thought it would be about an after-school club,” Stuetina, who is on maternity leave, said.

“Instead, it labelled her ‘obese’, and by the time I saw it, Sienna had also read it. The effects of a child reading that information without context or proper support has been devastating.

“Sienna is a little chunky but is tall and incredibly active. She is bigger for her age but has been through a growth spurt and she’s always been big-boned. She wears 10 to 11-year-olds’ clothing.

“She does drama club three times a week, after-school club on a Thursday and football practice on Friday. She then spends all day Saturday playing in competitions with her girls’ footie team.

“But Sienna has tried to avoid meals, telling me she isn’t hungry or she ate a lot at lunch. When I ask her what’s wrong, she tells me it’s because the letter said she was fat.

“Sienna’s now dieting and weight-obsessed. The little girl who loved doing Joe Wicks workouts every day in lockdown is now worried she looks silly in her sports kit and will be bullied.

“When she said she wanted to stop playing football because of her insecurities, I felt like crying. She said she was worried about being teased. She’s convinced her friends think she is fat. Her self-esteem has been hit hard.

Sienna’s now dieting and weight-obsessed, says her mum. Picture: Hook News

“Instead of empowering her, I worry the letter has triggered body dysmorphia and am doing everything I can to prevent this. The letter did not offer practical help about food or diet, it just labelled Sienna fat. The letter made me feel terrible for my daughter, but it was also confronting.

“In my view, the aim is to make parents feel guilty. Sienna’s dad is tall and slim. I’m still losing my baby weight after giving birth to twins just over a year ago, but I consider myself of average size.

“We eat healthy meals which I cook from scratch and my children have very limited screen time. We are not a fat family.

“A better approach is needed – finding out how active a child is, what sports they play and what they eat, before simply looking at a BMI table and labelling a little girl. Each child is different.”

Responding to the criticism, a Department of Health spokesman said: “The National Childhood Measurement Program (NCMP) helps inform local and national actions to tackle childhood obesity.

“The new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will lead national efforts to improve and level up the health of the nation. Our approach to the NCMP is reviewed every year, in consultation with a wide range of experts, as well as children and families, school nurses and heads.”

The spokesman said 87 per cent of parents surveyed found the test useful, although it does not measure a child’s physical activity or other health behaviours.

He added that parents should get advice from a GP or school nurse.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission