GPs are having to teach parents how to cook simple foods such as potatoes and beans in the war on childhood obesity

Family doctors are having to thatch parents really to navigator elemental foods for illustration murphy and beans successful a bid to trim puerility obesity.

Overstretched GPs opportunity a deficiency of master services intends they are offering patient look proposal to those pinch overweight children.

Many are struggling to tackle increasing problem, blaming a deficiency of training and capacity, according to a survey.

With much than a 3rd of children (37 per cent) overweight by nan clip they time off superior school, nan UK faces a timebomb of wellness conditions arsenic they get older.

Researchers from nan University of Birmingham conducted in-depth interviews pinch healthcare professionals to understand their experiences of supporting families lose weight.

In 1 response, a healthcare master said: 'I had 1 mum and her kid was overweight, but she was a young genitor and she really didn't cognize really to navigator nan dinners.

'We spent a batch of clip pinch her giving her worksheets, really to cook, make murphy and beans alternatively than going to nan food and spot shop.'

Healthcare professionals complained of insufficient clip and training to support families, including constricted readiness for master services.

They reported mediocre entree to routinely collected information connected children's weight and had concerns astir damaging spot by highlighting weight concerns astir children.

Others said they were alert of taste considerations erstwhile bringing up weight, according to nan findings published successful nan British Journal of General Practice.

Last night, obesity campaigners said it should not beryllium down to GPs to thatch cooking skills.

Tam Fry, chair of nan National Obesity Forum, said: 'It is pitiful that doctors are having to thatch their patients cooking skills because millions of UK families person nary thought of really to hole a patient meal.

'Time was erstwhile fantabulous cookery school successful schools utilized to guarantee that kids near secondary schoolhouse pinch bully basal knowledge astir nutrient - but that has mostly gone.'

Latest puerility obesity figures show 22.7 per cent of twelvemonth 6 pupils were classed arsenic obese aliases severely obese successful 2022/23.

When obesity and overweight figures are taken together, nan fig rises to 36.6 per cent of children, meaning much than 1 successful 3 are supra a patient weight.

Miranda Pallan, Professor of Child and Adolescent Public Health who led nan study, said: 'Through nan bid of interviews pinch doctors, superior attraction nurses and schoolhouse nurses, we person been capable to spot immoderate clear barriers that forestall effective proposal and support for families to tackle nan increasing pandemic of puerility obesity.

'While we should not expect doctors to beryllium spending tons of clip school families really to navigator healthy, balanced meals, nan study does item that healthcare professionals request much support and dedicated clip to alteration them to springiness applicable proposal and successful immoderate cases mention to much master services.'