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Obesity
on the Rise
Among Infants and Toddlers
NEW
YORK (Reuters Health) - Children younger than 4 years of age are
not immune to the epidemic of obesity that has swept the modern
world, researchers report.
A new study
chronicles a sharp rise in the number of infants and toddlers
who were classified as obese between 1989 and 1998. The results,
published in the February 10th issue of the British Medical Journal,
underscore the need to encourage even very young children to be
physically active and follow a healthy diet, according to Dr.
Peter Bundred, from the University of Liverpool in the UK, and
colleagues.
Overweight
children are more likely than their leaner peers to grow into
obese adults, and excess weight is a major risk factor for heart
disease, type 2 diabetes and death, the authors note.
``Our concerns
are therefore that we will see significant increases in the numbers
of these cases in the future if our children continue to gain
weight at this alarming rate,'' Bundred told Reuters Health.
The researchers
compared the heights and weights of more than 35,500 infants aged
1 to 3 months and nearly 29,000 toddlers from just under 3 years
old to 4 years old living in England. During the study period,
the rate of obesity among all children rose to 9% from 5% and
the rate of overweight rose to 24% from 15%.
Bundred said
that low levels of long-term breastfeeding and the hectic pace
of modern life are to blame.
``The majority
of families (in the UK) have both parents working and it is easier
to entertain the toddler with a sweet drink in front of the TV
than to play with them in the evening. In fact, children are losing
the skills to play,'' he said.
Interventions
that encourage physical activity and weight loss should be targeted
to children younger than 4 years, the authors suggest. The study
findings could be used to develop national programs to prevent
and treat obesity in children, the report indicates.
The investigators
classified children who fell above the 85th percentile for weight
on standardized growth charts as overweight. Children who fell
above the 95th percentile were considered obese.
Body mass
index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to height, is used
to assess obesity in adults but can be misleading when applied
to children since it does not take into account differences in
the timing of growth spurts, the authors point out.
SOURCE:
British Medical Journal 2001;322:326-328.
Reference
Source 89
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