Child obesity clinic opens

The number of obese children is on a steady rise in the Faroes, according to health advisory centre Gigni.

The problem has now become so widespread that Gigni has opened a dedicated child obesity clinic in Tórshavn.

A key reason for opening the clinic is that school nurses often experience children entering their clinic with a note from their parents saying the child should not be weighed.

This presents school nurses with a problem.

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“Knowing a child’s weight is an important element of assessing his or her overall health. If the child weighs too much, we can step in quickly with health advice,” says Unna Hansen, a health visitor at the new clinic.

”Children’s average weight has risen significantly in the past decades. If we fail to monitor these trends, we risk normalising obesity and overlooking opportunities to provide essential support and guidance.”

The clinic, located on Tórshavn’s Landavegur street, is intended for children aged 3-16.

Contact Gigni for further information on 614000.

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

English version by prosa.fo.

More Faroese News in English.