DadTalk

Generation could die before their parents

Today's children could die at a younger age than their parents as preventable diseases reach epidemic levels, the UK's leading hospitals warned today.

Doctors from Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital said the number of avoidable health complaints such as obesity and tooth decay were booming. As a result they were spending an increasing amount of time dealing with avoidable conditions.

One of the areas most affected is the dental department. More than half of the 1,000 dental operations carried out each year are on children under the age of six. Research has shown people with gum disease and tooth decay have a higher risk of heart disease.

Meanwhile between 500 to 1,000 children a year end up in hospital because they are exposed to their parents' smoking.

Another report predicted that eight out of 10 men and almost seven in 10 women will be overweight or obese by 2020.

BBC's Panorama programme 'Spoilt Rotten? claims around £1m and hundreds of hours of treatment time are being spent each year treating obesity, tooth decay, alcohol abuse and health complaints associated with passive smoking.

Read more: Daily Mail.