The proportion of children classed as overweight or obese rose between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. A study in the British Medical Journal last week looked at thousands of children aged between four and 11, and compared their measurements to those of children taken in 1974, 1984 and 1994.
The study found the proportion of overweight or obese children remained steady between 1974 and 1984 but shot up by 1994. About five per cent of the boys in England were overweight in 1984, while a decade later the number had increased to nine per cent. A greater percentage of girls were overweight in 1984 but the figures also increased by a similar amount to the boys during the following ten years.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
