Social Inequalities in Young Children’s Lifestyle Behaviors and Childhood Overweight

Abstract

Childhood overweight and obesity is a major public health concern. Adverse health and psychosocial outcomes associated with childhood overweight include elevated blood pressure and hypertension, type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleeping disorders, low self-esteem, and decreased quality of life. Long term consequences of childhood overweight include the persistence (or tracking) of overweight from childhood into adulthood and the increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and premature mortality. Over the past three decades, the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has risen markedly. The current prevalence of overweight varies across continents; North America, Europe, and parts of the Western Pacific have the highest prevalence with 20-30% of all children being overweight [8]. In the Netherlands, regular nationwide growth studies are conducted among children aged 0-21 years. Comparison of findings over the past three decades has shown a two- to three-fold increase in overweight prevalence and a four- to six-fold increase in obesity prevalence among native Dutch children. In the most recent study, conducted in 2009, the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was 13.3% and 14.9% for native Dutch boys and girls, respectively.