United Kingdom: a “baby boom” of “sumo babies”
So many are the fears of pregnant women, the difficulties of pregnancy, illnesses, disabilities, the arrival of a premature infant, it happens today that an infant is already overweight and suffers from obesity. .
This state has been named “baby sumo”, and is, according to The Sun (1) , attributable to the obesity of the mother. According to statistics from The Sun, there is currently a “baby boom” of “baby sumo” in the UK.
When infants are born obese
According to this study, a third of hospitals managing maternity wards and therefore births gave birth to already obese infants (over 5.4 kg) last year in the United Kingdom. These statistics relate to 139 maternities.
While most infants range in weight from 3.0kg to 3.5kg, these already obese infants are well above average. According to the Huffington Post (2) , it was last June (2013) that a mother gave birth to the biggest baby in the UK (who weighed 6.5kg at the time).
Origin of postnatal obesity
The “sumo” infant suffering from obesity from birth would be the continuation of the excess weight, overweight or even obesity of its mother . Food excesses and lack of physical activity before and during pregnancy are the main factors in the infant’s condition.
“A beautiful baby” an expression often used by future mothers and what they want above all, a healthy infant who is neither premature nor too small. Rare are those who ask for a “not too big” baby. Indeed, this is not one of their concerns. And yet obesity is not only a state but also a disease and consequences for the person, serious consequences when it comes to an infant.
The birth of sumo babies did not occur in the 21st century at the same time as the Smartphone and the use of social networks. Already in the 20th century , in the 1960s, obese infants had been identified, but this trend has increased over the years. This is indicated, according to the Huffington Post, Tam Fry (spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum ).
Consequences for the infant
If obesity is a disease for an adult person, it is the same for an infant. The consequences of overweight and obesity are even more dramatic for an infant than for an adult.
A public health problem, a condition from which the infant will suffer and a condition which will cause health complications but also physical complications.
As with any obesity, cardiovascular risks will be present, heart disease may occur and the joints will be more sensitive. Joint problems can partially handicap the child: difficulty moving, walking, running, practicing physical activity, joint pain, etc.
And if in the United Kingdom, 67% of men and 57% of women are overweight or obese, to react against this state, against this disease, prevention remains the best treatment. It should also be remembered that in the United Kingdom, 1 child in 5 aged 10 to 11 is obese .
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.