Childhood Obesity Leads to Adolescent Obesity

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One expert sees the same pattern of obesity among U.S. children.

"The data are worrisome," said Dr. Walter Willett, the Frederick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard Medical School and chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "They show the same pattern that we see here of continued high levels of overweight and obesity," he said.

Overweight is a problem that is showing up earlier in childhood, Willett said. "We need to be putting more emphasis on younger children," he noted.

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Childhood obesity needs to be attacked from many directions, Willett said. "Health-care systems need to be giving more attention to counseling the whole family about weight control," he said. In addition, Willett believes that schools need to do a better job in promoting healthy eating and in increasing physical activity both during and after school.

Willett noted that the racial and economic disparity in overweight children seen in the British study is seen in the United States as well. "This is heavily wound up in economic disparities, educational opportunities, the physical environment and food availability," he said.

Willett believes that parents can play an important part in keeping their children from becoming overweight. "That means setting a good example," he said. "Not buying junk food. Soda doesn't belong in households. Parents who are eating well and being active are setting a good example, and that's really important," he said.

"Healthy weight control is a life skill," Willett added. "We focus on childhood obesity a lot, but still the biggest weight gain comes on after age 20," he said. Controlling weight is a lifetime task. "It needs to be almost from birth to death," he said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can tell you more about obesity (www.cdc.gov ).

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