British children are much shorter than other rich nations – why that’s a sign of far more serious problems for Greater Manchester kids

Children in Britain are much shorter than those in other wealthy nations, with a poor national diet being blamed. Helena Vesty reports on why diminishing height is just one small sign of a far more insidious problem hitting Greater Manchester youngsters, especially.

Five-year-olds in Britain are, on average, up to seven centimetres shorter than children in other wealthy nations, new data has revealed.

The stark figures reported in The Times were met with shock by many, with a poor national diet being blamed for the height difference. But for one leading doctor in Greater Manchester, it’s ‘not a surprise’.

GP Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE warns that the country is yet to see the more serious consequences of malnutrition, which he says is sweeping the UK as the cost of living crisis rolls on. Among the places worst affected are the more deprived boroughs of Greater Manchester which see huge numbers of children living in poverty – and their health suffers for it.

(Manchester Evening News, 25th June 2023)