|
||||||||
The incidence of obesity in children is on the rise - and excessive weight gain isn't just taking place in school-aged children and teens. Between 1989 and 1998, researchers in the United Kingdom examined 35,662 infants between 1 and 3 months old and 28,768 children between 2 years 11 months and 4 years old to determine trends in weight, height, and body mass index.
Using weight, height, sex, and age data, researchers determined the body mass index (BMI) - a measure of body fatness - of the 2- to 4-year-olds. The BMI of the infants was not calculated because the measure is less reliable at that age.
Based on BMI data, the study results showed that more preschool children were obese and overweight in 1998 than in 1989. In 1989, over 14% of the preschool children were overweight, and in 1998, over 23% were overweight. In addition, the percentage of obese children increased from 5% in 1989 to 9% in 1998. During the same time period, average height for preschool children did not increase and the average weight of the infants did not change. Researchers concluded that the excessive weight gain that resulted in increases in the number of obese and overweight children occurred between infancy and preschool age. Surveys of U.S. children have shown a similar trend over this period.
What This Means to You: Obesity in childhood may continue into adulthood, which can put children at future risk for health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Talk to your child's doctor about whether your child is at a healthy weight for his or her age. If not, your doctor can advise you about controlling excess weight gain in your child by modifying his or her eating habits and physical activity.
Source: British Medical Journal, February 2001
Back News Index.