Boy, 13, is youngest victim of 'obesity epidemic' after fatal blood clot 'caused by his weight'

The boy collapsed and died earlier this year from a blood clot believed to have been caused by his weight
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Nick Charity19 September 2018

A young boy has become the youngest victim of Britain's weight crisis after dying of a blood clot due to obesity, a post mortem has found.

The 13-year old boy collapsed early this year due to a blood clot, which has been attributed to his size - and after the "shocking death", a pathologist conducting the post mortem found the child died of natural causes and said he did not require an inquest.

Experts are shocked by the boys death, believing him to be the youngest victim of an obesity "epidemic" in the UK.

The post mortem report noted the boy had been gaining weight from a young age, and even saw his GP the day before he died earlier this year after complaining of swollen feet. He is said to have had a body mass index of 42 and was twice the recommended weight for his age

Fifth of kids eat takeaways once a week

One in five meals children eat are away from home, according to Public Health England figures. Meals away from home are associated with much higher fat and sugar content, and higher portion sizes, and food outlets are increasingly clustered around schools.

According to the pathologist's report, NHS ​school nurses had weighed him four years ago and sent a letter home warning his parents about his weight. The post mortem found he also showed evidence of fatty liver disease, an early sign of liver failure due to obesity

Experts have called the shocking case a stark reminder of the risks of rising obesity among children.

A draft health inequality strategy in London found nearly 40 per cent of 10 and 11 year olds in London are in the obese category, with those in poorer areas most affected. The Mayor of London's plan to tackle infant weight problems said problems usually develop into adulthood, leading to type-2 diabetes and heart problems.

Public Health England is backing a levy on soft drinks in a bid to cut down the single biggest source of high-sugar products for young people. And health minister Steve Brine has opened consultation on he introduction of calorie labels in restaurants, cafes and takeaways to give families more control over what they order.

The WHO called the rise in weight-related health risks an "obesity epidemic", as 115 million people suffer from obesity-related problems worldwide.

The UK is in the top quarter of the world's fattest countries, coming 40th out of 190 in the WHO's mean BMI index in 2015 - but we are the third most overweight country in Europe after Malta and Turkey in a new report published this month.

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said on the findings: "The UK is third from bottom on the WHO's list because for two decades successive UK governments have done virtually nothing to confront an increasing obesity epidemic.

"We have still not got to grips with obesity in children, he said yesterday on the news of the teenager's death. "Why was this boy not helped? We have complained for some time that picking up and treating obesity through schools is hit and miss."

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