Obesity target; In association with the NHS

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Oct 6, 2008

A MAJOR international study to tackle the problem of childhood obesity has been announced.

More than 17,000 children from 10 different European countries will be monitored in the five-year trial, which is being led by the University of Glasgow.

Scientists hope by recording the dietary and lifestyle patterns of the youngsters they can develop strategies to try and reduce the number of obese and overweight children.

Dr Yannis Pitsiladis, of the University of Glasgow's faculty of biomedical and life sciences, is leading the study.

He said: "Obesity is one of the major healthcare challenges facing the western world today.

"One of the most worrying trends in scenario is the increase in obesity among our children.

'The environment of infants and children has drastically changed during the last decades and this is reflected in alterations of behaviour, dietary habits and low physical activity.

'To stop the epidemic of diet and lifestyle-induced morbidity in European children, action needs to be taken. This study is part of the reaction to the obesitv eoidemic."