Changing prevalences of overweight and obesity in primary school children - a glimmer of hope?

Background The current epidemic of childhood obesity is a growing public health concern. Estimates of the prevalence of obesity are necessary so that secular trends can be monitored and the need for preventative measures assessed. Aims To establish the prevalences of overweight and obesity in Aberdeen primary schoolchildren and to investigate how children have been changing with respect to body fatness during their primary school years. Methods: Retrospective study of two cohorts of school entrants, using height and weight data from school nurse records. Results Data were collected on 1018 children. The prevalence of overweight among children in primary year 1 decreased from 28.7% in 1997/98 to 21.5% in 2001/02 (P < 0.01). The mean BMI SD score also significantly decreased in boys from 0.51 in 1997/98 to 0.32 in 2001/02. For the 1997/98 school entrants, the prevalences of overweight and obesity did not change between school entry and the end of primary school. The mean BMI SD score decreased significantly during primary school in boys but not in girls. Conclusion Although childhood overweight and obesity remain major public health concerns, we report a slight improvement in measures of obesity over time, particularly in boys.