Press release issued by Institute of Education

Further information following a media release issued by the Institute of Education (University of London) on February 15th 2010 entitled:

Black children at greatest risk of being overweight, study finds

This study examined the weight of over 12000 five-year-olds from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS).The MCS is the fourth nation-wide cohort study in the UK and follows children from 9 months onwards through childhood.

The findings are reported in a book on the Millennium Cohort Study's first three surveys, which is published today. The relevant chapter discusses the prevalence of obesity among different groups and individual, familial and geographical risk factors for obesity.

Researchers who analysed the data found that more than one in three black Caribbean and black African children (36%) were overweight at age 5, compared with 17 per cent of Pakistani and 21 per cent of white children.  Black children had also been at the greatest risk of being overweight at age 3, say researchers at the MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health at University College London (UCL). Thirty per cent of them had been classified as overweight at that age, compared with only 10 per cent of Indian children.

However, the authors of the study emphasize that the pattern identified in their cohort needs further analysis and has not taken into account   potentially confounding factors that may be important, such as the socio-economic background of the children.

Additionally, this study used body mass index (BMI) to define overweight, calculated using weight and height. Whilst this is a standard measure used in other health surveys, including the Government's National Child Measurement Programme(NCMP), BMI does not distinguish between fat mass and fat free mass (e.g. muscle).

Dr Lucy Griffiths, the lead researcher on the study, explains:

“Further research, using alternative measurements of body composition, is needed to examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity across different ethnic groups and to understand their relevance for children’s future health and wellbeing.”

"Evidence from longitudinal epidemiological studies will enhance our understanding of the causes of childhood obesity and through later follow-up, allow the consequences of overweight and obesity to be characterised. Our data will contribute to the development of appropriate interventions and policies to prevent and reduce childhood obesity across all the relevant groups.”