Overweight and obesity in early childhood affect weight status in the middle childhood years

Abstract: Background: Overweight and obesity in the preschool years has become an established problem in Sweden. Objectives: To study the development of weight status between the ages of 4-5 and 10-11 in two groups of different socioeconomic belongings and to create an overview of weight management programs for very young children. Method: The study population was a group of children born in 1999, living in Lund or Burlöv. The 10 year-measurements were obtained through the School Health Care charts and later linked with data from the Child Health Care. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and interpreted according to Cole et al (2000). The literature search was performed in Medline. Results: Analysis included 798 children, showing that a significant part of the overweight/obese preschool children remained so at the age of 10 (Lund: 47.1%, Burlöv: 75.0%). Normal weight children most often did not change weight category (Lund: 90.8%, Burlöv: 82.1%). Living in a municipality with a lower socioeconomic status may have a negative impact on both the ability to resolve a weight problem and the risk of developing overweight. Seven studies of great diversity were included in the literature overview. All studies did involve parents and tried to modify diet habits and/or physical activity in some way. Conclusion: Overweight at the age of 4-5 years is a strong predictive factor of being overweight at the age of 10. This correlation may be reinforced for a child living in a community with a lower socioeconomic status. More research is needed to define in what way early childhood overweight could be managed successfully.