To the Editor: A number of recently published articles indicate that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children is increasing at an alarming rate on a national1 and international2 level.
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- Central Coast Public Health Unit, Central Coast Health, Gosford, NSW.
Correspondence: plewis@doh.health.nsw.gov.au
- 1. Magarey AM, Daniels LA, Boulton TJC. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian children and adolescents: reassessment of 1985 and 1995 data against new standard worldwide definitions. Med J Aust 2001; 174: 561-564.
- 2. Chinn S, Rona RJ. Prevalence and trends in overweight and obesity in three cross sectional studies of British children, 1974–94. BMJ 2001; 322: 24-26.
- 3. Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH. Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ 2000; 320: 1240-1243.
- 4. Census of population and housing: Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), New South Wales. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Aug 1996. (ABS Catalogue no. 2033.1.30.001)
- 5. National Health and Medical Research Council. Acting on Australia's weight. A strategic plan for the prevention of overweight and obesity. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services, 1997.
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