Increased risk for poorer children

A new study conducted across the UK has questioned why poorer children are more at risk of obesity than their richer peers. The researchers used data from almost 20,000 families that have taken part in the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) which tracks measurements taken from children at 5 years old and 11 years old. They found that children in the bottom income quintile were nearly 3 times as likely to develop obesity as those in the top income quintile.

The researchers took into account many different factors including the children’s environment (including parental behaviours) and health behaviours. They also assessed the amount of physical activity that the children were undertaking and what their dietary habits were. They found that interventions, particularly behavioural mediation, amongst richer children were started earlier on in life, whilst poorer families received less support in dietary and physical activity advice. They also stressed the importance of reducing the income inequalities in overweight and obesity by widening access to childhood support and early interventions.

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