Council to ban the word 'obesity' - so fat children don't get offended

The word 'obese' could be banned in case it offends fat children (file photo)



Council chiefs may ban the word 'obese' because it could offend fat children.

They want to replace it with the phrase 'unhealthy weight'.

Parents and health experts condemned the proposal yesterday as 'preposterous'.

The idea was dreamed up by 90 pupils in the Liverpool Schools' Parliament, a scheme to help children become more interested in politics.

Now Liverpool City Council will formally consider their proposal to drop the word from all local authority schemes aimed at improving children's health.

One Merseyside father of two said: 'Being an overweight child does have a stigma - but that is the whole point.

'Eating unhealthy food and not taking part in physical activity should be stigmatised so that children live a healthy, active life.'

A council spokesman said the pupils' recommendations would be considered 'with a view' to putting them into practice.

Tam Fry of the obesity prevention charity the Child Growth Foundation, said: 'If you’re obese you’re obese. 'I can see where the children are coming from and the word carries a stigmatisation but unfortunately some times schoolchildren have to be taught the realities of life.

Mr Fry, whose charity campaign for more measures to combat obesity in children, said: 'If you have a problem, particularly when it’s as serious as this, it needs addressing.'

Banned? Liverpool Council are considering using 'unhealthy weight' as an alternative phrase



A mother said: 'My 12-year-old daughter is tackling her own slight weight problem by improving her diet, joining a gym and taking part in sports at school and her main motivation for her drive to be slimmer and healthier is that she is not seen as fat by her school friends.'

Liverpool Council will consider the plans as part of scheme to examine the key priorities and ways to improve the lives of young people over the next two years.

Explaining the group’s recommendation, Jeff Dunn, co-ordinator of the Liverpool Schools’ Parliament, said: 'The idea is that obesity has a negative connotation behind it.



'They felt unhealthy weight is more positive and a better way to promote it. The term ‘obese’ would turn people off, particularly young people.'

A Liverpool council spokesman said: 'All the young people’s recommendations will be considered by the council with a view to include them in the delivery of the Children and Yound People's Plan.'

Other recommendations include appointing classmates and city sport stars as 'food heroes' to promote healthy living within schools.



