A dangerous obsession with Cheryl Cole resulted in a teenager developing anorexia nervosa. Charlotte O’Neill, then aged 15 wanted to be as slim as the popular X Factor judge, after Cheryl became a judge on the show in 2008, which resulted in Charlotte losing three stone.

The teenager weighed 8st 7lb originally, at height 5ft 7in. After initially cutting out breakfast, chocolate and sweets and reducing her food portions, Charlotte lost half a stone within two weeks. Charlotte admits that although she felt hungry and weak, she continued as she knew she was getting closer to her ‘Goal Cole’. Eventually she reached seven stone, which was her target weight. However, the weight loss continued, eventually dropping to six stone which alerted her Physical Education teacher to take action.

Charlotte was admitted to hospital and given a strict meal plan after doctors warned her of the damage she was doing to her vital organs, including her heart. After being diagnosed with chronic anorexia nervosa, Charlotte spent nine months in a centre which specialises in eating disorders, managing to put weight on to become 7st 12lb.

The obsession resurfaced after watching the X Factor judge on television, with her weight again plummeting, this time to 5st 7lb. During a holiday with her mum to Tenerife, thankfully Charlotte had a “light bulb moment” while being taken to a café for breakfast one morning. During an interview with Love It! Magazine, Charlotte said:

A strange feeling came over me.

This was followed by eating a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, mushrooms and tomatoes. Since that day, 18 year old Charlotte has continued to gain weight steadily, although admits she is still struggling. Despite admitting that she realises that Cheryl Cole isn’t anorexic, and that the star would be ‘appalled’ at being inspiration for a teenager to starve herself, she is still relieved that Cheryl isn’t a judge this year.

A book which is due to be published in the United States in October 2011, has already raised concerns among experts in child health, nutrition and eating disorders. The book, which is called “Maggie goes on a diet” is by Paul Kramer, who writes books which are aimed at dealing with common issues for young people and children. He has also written books that target bed wetting and personal hygiene. The book is about a 14 year old girl who is overweight. The cover of the book features (more…)

A call for a watershed time of 9pm on junk food advertising has been announced by the Children’s Food Campaign. Although the current regulations prevent the advertising of junk food on children’s TV channels and programmes, which are primarily watched by children, a large number of family shows that are exempt from the rules are watched by kids who are then exposed to the promotion of junk food. In fact, research carried out by Which? in 2007 discovered that (more…)

Researchers warn that multiple screen viewing could lead to increased levels of obesity in children. The screens include televisions, laptops, computers, smartphones and portable games consoles, often used simultaneously. The research suggests that parents should take into consideration (more…)

According to the results of the Kids Brand Index 2011 research, Walkers Crisps are the number one favourite product with children aged between seven and 15 years old. The Kids Brand Index details the results of research based on the opinions of 4000 children aged seven to 15, in the United Kingdom. The children are separated into two groups: the tweens which are aged seven to 11 and the teens, which are aged 12 to 15. Gender was also (more…)

According to figures for the latest school year, the exclusion of pupils from school is decreasing slightly. In this school year, 29 pupils of primary school age and 68 children of secondary school age have been excluded permanently from school in the Lincolnshire area. Fixed term exclusions have been handed out to 568 kids between five and 11 years old and 2,057 pupils aged 11 to 18. The length of exclusion averaged at three days and reasons include (more…)

Shem Davies has become the youngest grandfather in the United Kingdom, aged only 29 years old. He looks so young that nurses were compelled to ask for identification to prove he was over 16 years old, when he arrived at the hospital to visit his new grandchild. The nurses mistakenly thought he was the teenage dad of the baby.

Shem and Kelly John, aged 30 had Tia, who is aged 14 when they were only 15 years of age. Jordan Williams, aged 15 is the father of (more…)

One of the deadliest plants in the world was mistakenly planted close to a children’s park. Monkshood, which has purple flowers is extremely poisonous, so poisonous that hunters in the Amazon rainforest tip their arrows with it. The council workers apparently didn’t recognise the killer plant, and went ahead and planted six of them close to a park where children frequently play.

The flower bed is situated (more…)

Statistics released by NHS trusts in the United Kingdom show that children are increasingly developing obsessions with their size, especially girls. The number of children under the age of nine requiring hospital treatment has doubled in the last 12 months. During the last three years, 98 children aged between five and (more…)