INTERVIEW
"Different factors lead to obesity, it's a whole." Wednesday, at the microphone of Elisabeth Levy on Europe 1, Anne-Sophie Joly, the president of the National Collective of Obese Associations, tries to decipher the causes of the increase in overweight of young French. According to a study by the Drees, the statistical service of social ministries, conducted in 2016 and 2017 among 7,200 students and unveiled on Wednesday, 18.2% of adolescents in the 3rd grade are overweight, of whom more than one quarter (5.2%) are obese, compared to 17% and 3.8% respectively in 2009 and 15.8% and 3.5% in 2001.
"Whatever we say, the first factor is genetic," says Anne-Sophie Joly. "A child with a weight loss of one parent has a 40% risk of weight problems, and the risk is 80% when both parents are overweight."
24% of workers' children are overweight compared to 12% of executive children
The socio-cultural milieu is another important factor of obesity. Nearly a quarter of working-class children (24%) are now overweight and 8% are obese, compared with 12% and 3% of executive children, respectively, according to Drees figures. "Families are doing what they can to be able to pay their bills with the wages they have.To feed a hungry stomach with little money at their disposal, they often turn to the necessities that are the less good and which are sweeter, saltier, fatter ... ", says the president of CNAO.
"Without accompaniment, you go to the pipe breaker"
The psychological aspect, sedentarity, but also the tendency of the diets are also taken into account, estimates Anne-Sophie Joly. "These are diets that are made alone, via television, books, but these diets that are not accompanied by health professionals in a multidisciplinary team are manufacturers of obese. What is going to lose weight is mostly your bank account, "she denounces.
For parents who are worried about the overweight of their child, the president of CNAO advises to call on one of the 37 specialized obesity centers that have been created in connection with the Ministry of Health. "They all have multidisciplinary teams who are trained to look after children, young adults and adults."