Child health gap recipe for disaster

A report has found that by the age of three, children from poorer families are less likely to be rated as “very healthy” when compared to those whose parents are better off.

The latest Growing Up in Ireland report found that a gap in the health of children depending on how socially advantaged or disadvantaged they are. By age three, children from the most deprived background families were more likely to be obese compared to those from more advantaged ones.

That, surely, is recipe for disaster. Obese children are more like to become obese adults, adding hugely to the burden on health services in the future.

A properly funded education campaign is needed to alert parents and those who care for children of the importance of proper diet. It will save money and, more importantly, lives in the years to come.