Childhood Obesity Study: Disadvantaged Children in Australia More Likely to be Obese than Affluent Children

Australian children who are more disadvantaged in life are more likely to be obese, starting at age four and throughout their childhood, than children who come from wealthier families. This is based on a research study of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and the age gap is increasing over time.

The study on 5,000 Australian children published in the PLOS One journal is the first research to monitor the rates of obesity in children over time.

In the long-term study, researchers measured the height and weight of children every two years, starting at age 4 to age 10. This method helped researchers track the children's body mass index (BMI) which they have used as an estimate of fat based on weight and height.

According to lead researcher Melissa Wake, the average body mass index of children from poorer backgrounds was higher at every age. Professor Wake said the findings were indeed a worrying trend.

Ms. Wake said social status has an impact on a child being obese before reaching puberty. This marked social gradient affects the chances of the child being obese throughout childhood. Researchers believe these patterns may continue for the rest of their lives with increasing inequality.

The findings of the study also revealed that at four years old, 80 per cent of the Australian children had normal weight, while 15 per cent were overweight and 5 per cent were obese. When the children became older at age 10, 74 per cent of the children had normal weight, 20 per cent became overweight and 6 per cent became obese.

The researchers found a strong link between obesity and disadvantaged backgrounds after classifying children into five socioeconomic groups. Parents' occupation, education and income were factored in the classification.

Researchers found that 11.5 per cent of children in the most disadvantaged group or children whose parents had the lowest income were obese throughout their childhood. Only 3.4 per cent of children belonging to higher socioeconomic backgrounds were obese as they got older.

Ms. Wake said the risk of children being overweight or obese tends to increase as their socioeconomic status declines. She said it was likely that richer families have more resources to provide their children with a healthier lifestyle. They also live in communities with access to parks and other recreation areas where children could engage in physical activities.