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Among adults the worldwide epidemic of obesity continues to increase.
A recent study found that, from 1980 to 2008, the worldwide prevalence of
adult obesity increased from 4.8% to 9.8%; mean weight worldwide increased
by 0.4 kg per decade for men and 0.5 kg per decade for women; and among
high-income countries, BMI rose most in USA (by more than 1 kg/m2/decade),
followed by New Zealand and Australia for women and followed by UK and
Australia for men 1.
Among children however there is evidence that
obesity rates may have turned the corner with rates decreasing in pre-
school children. For example, the combined prevalence of overweight and
obesity in preschool children in Victoria, Australia decreased
significantly between 1999 and 2007 in 3.5-year-old children from 18.5 to
15.4% and in 2-year-old children from 13.5 to 12.4% 2. Reasons why this
has occurred are unknown. The contribution of postnatal interventions in
early life including parenting and attachment, appropriate introduction of
solids, support for optimal breastfeeding need rigorous evaluation.
1. Finucane MM, Stevens GA, Cowan MJ ea. (2011) National, regional,
and global trends in body-mass index since 1980: Systematic analysis of
health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 960 country-
years and 9*1 million participants. The Lancet 377:557-567
2. Nichols MS, de Silva-Sanigorski AM, Cleary JE, Goldfeld SR, Colahan A,
Swinburn BA. (2011) Decreasing trends in overweight and obesity among an
Australian population of preschool children International Journal of
Obesity Advance online publication 22 March 2011; doi: 10.1038/ijo.2011.64
Competing interests:
No competing interests
31 March 2011
John C Oldroyd
Research Fellow
Cabrini Institute, 183 Wattletree Tree Rd, Malvern, Victoria 3144
Emerging health promotion interventions for child obesity need evaluation
Among adults the worldwide epidemic of obesity continues to increase.
A recent study found that, from 1980 to 2008, the worldwide prevalence of
adult obesity increased from 4.8% to 9.8%; mean weight worldwide increased
by 0.4 kg per decade for men and 0.5 kg per decade for women; and among
high-income countries, BMI rose most in USA (by more than 1 kg/m2/decade),
followed by New Zealand and Australia for women and followed by UK and
Australia for men 1.
Among children however there is evidence that
obesity rates may have turned the corner with rates decreasing in pre-
school children. For example, the combined prevalence of overweight and
obesity in preschool children in Victoria, Australia decreased
significantly between 1999 and 2007 in 3.5-year-old children from 18.5 to
15.4% and in 2-year-old children from 13.5 to 12.4% 2. Reasons why this
has occurred are unknown. The contribution of postnatal interventions in
early life including parenting and attachment, appropriate introduction of
solids, support for optimal breastfeeding need rigorous evaluation.
1. Finucane MM, Stevens GA, Cowan MJ ea. (2011) National, regional,
and global trends in body-mass index since 1980: Systematic analysis of
health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 960 country-
years and 9*1 million participants. The Lancet 377:557-567
2. Nichols MS, de Silva-Sanigorski AM, Cleary JE, Goldfeld SR, Colahan A,
Swinburn BA. (2011) Decreasing trends in overweight and obesity among an
Australian population of preschool children International Journal of
Obesity Advance online publication 22 March 2011; doi: 10.1038/ijo.2011.64
Competing interests: No competing interests