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The WHO Regional Office for Europe has established a European childhood obesity surveillance system in fifteen countries in the Region. The system aims to routinely measure trends in overweight and obesity in primary school children (6-9 years), in order to understand the progress of the epidemic in this population group and to permit intercountry comparisons within the European Region.

Preliminary results indicate 24% of 6-9 year olds overweight

Preliminary results of the first round indicate that on average 24% of the children aged 6-9 years old are overweight or obese (based on the 2007 WHO growth reference for children and adolescents). These results are presented on 25 September 2010 at the II World Congress of Public Health Nutrition in Porto, Portugal.

Background to the study

The first data collection took place during the school year 2007/2008, with 13 countries participating (Belgium (Flemish region), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden). The second round will take place from spring to autumn 2010, with four new participating countries: Greece, Hungary, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Spain. The first progress report on counteracting obesity is due in 2010.

In preparation for the WHO European Ministerial Conference on Counteracting Obesity (Istanbul, 15–17 November 2006) Member States were consulted and the need was recognized for standardized and European-wide harmonized surveillance systems on which policy development within the WHO European Region could be based. As a follow-up to this recommendation, the nutrition, physical activity and obesity programme of the WHO Regional Office for Europe established a European childhood obesity surveillance system in fifteen countries in the Region.