Excess weight and obesity during childhood is associated with great risks to future health. Body mass index (BMI, which is the weight in kg divided by the square of the height in cm) is a common measure of excess weight and obesity even though normal values for children are different from those of adults. A summary of the situation in the world among children aged 5 years and over was presented on 10 October this year: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32129-3. This shows that BMI has risen sharply in children and young people in some countries since the 1970s. The largest increase was seen in Latin America and the smallest increase was seen in Eastern Europe. The trend has leveled off in northwestern Europe (including Sweden) since 2010 but at a high value. Yet at the same time, BMI has increased at a growing rate in eastern and southern Asia. The presence of excess weight in children and adolescents among boys and girls in 2016 is shown in the figures below.
Magnus Domellöf 2017-10-27
