Rickets on the rise due to poor nutrition and inactivity

Monday 25th January, 2010

A rise in the number of cases of rickets could be linked to children’s inactive lifestyles and poor nutrition, according to health experts.

Rickets was a common condition in Victorian times due to starvation which caused a lack of vitamin D in children’s diets.

Now, experts claim rickets is returning due to poor diet and a lack of outdoor activity and a review published by Professor Simon Pearce and Dr Tim Cheetham of Newcastle University has called for milk and other food to be fortified with Vitamin D to combat the problem.

‘Kids tend to stay indoors more these days and play on their computers instead of enjoying the fresh air. This means their vitamin D levels are worse than in previous years,’ said Professor Pearce.

‘The number of patients still presenting with symptoms of vitamin D deficiency shows we have a long way to go’.