Australian preschoolers get fatter

The number of overweight and obese Australian preschoolers increased by more than 8000 between 2004 and 2008 as children spent more time watching television and less time being physically active, new research shows.

The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute studied two groups of 5000 children aged four and five who were taking part in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. It found that 20.6 per cent were overweight or obese in 2004. By 2008, the figure rose to 23.8 per cent – representing an estimated 8000 extra preschoolers in Australia.

The percentage of children who watched more than three hours of television a day increased from 22 to 32 per cent (weekends) and from 20 to 24 per cent (weekdays) during the same period. Meanwhile, 28 per cent of children chose inactive over active pastimes in 2008, compared with 26 per cent four years earlier.

Lead researcher Professor Melissa Wake said the figures highlighted the need for more research funding and improved government policies to combat the childhood obesity epidemic.

“There are many government initiatives in place to address childhood obesity, but unfortunately, these are not strongly based on research evidence and don’t appear to be making a difference,” Professor Wake said.

“What we urgently need is more investment into research specifically aiming to determine what really does and doesn’t work for childhood obesity.”

The study found the number of mums who were overweight and obese also increased from 43 to 46 per cent between 2004-2008.

On a brighter note, by 2008 more parents reported giving their children a healthier diet including more fruits and vegetables and less sugary and high fat foods and drinks. However, the study did not look at whether children were eating the correct portion sizes.

The study recommends the establishment of a national monitoring program to track childrens’ obesity, fitness and diet across Australia.

The results will be presented at the Australian Institute of Family Studies’ second Longitudinal Study of Australian Children Conference in Melbourne today.

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