Children under four are becoming heavier

Prevalence of overweight and obese children between 1989 and 1998: population based series of cross sectional studies

More children under 4 years of age are overweight and obese than ever before, according to a study in this week's BMJ.

Bundred and colleagues analysed height and weight measurements of 35,662 infants aged 1-3 months and 28,768 children aged between 2 years 11 months and 4 years, routinely taken by health visitors as part of the 6 week and preschool assessment. They found that from 1989 to 1998 there was a highly significant increasing trend in the proportion of overweight and obese children under 4 years of age.

Early intervention, including increased activity and reduction in high fat, high calorie foods, must be targeted at this age group if they are to have an impact, say the authors. These findings could be the impetus for a national programme to prevent and treat childhood obesity and its long term complications, they conclude.

Contact:

Peter Bundred, Reader in Primary Care, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. Email: peterb@liv.ac.uk