Slight decrease in the proportion of overweight schoolchildren
Published: Tuesday, May 28th 2024, 09:10
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According to a monitoring study, around one in six schoolchildren was overweight or obese in the 2022/23 school year. This was slightly fewer than in the previous year. The most important influence continued to be the social background of the children and young people.
Compared to the previous year, the monitoring of weight data published on Tuesday by the school medical services of the cities of Basel, Bern and Zurich showed a slight decrease in the proportion of overweight schoolchildren, namely by 0.8 percentage points to 16.7 percent.
According to the study, the main reason for the decline is fewer cases at primary level (minus 1.8 percentage points). At middle and upper school level, the figures remain stable. 4.3 percent of the children and young people surveyed were severely overweight. This figure also decreased slightly compared to the previous year (minus 0.4 percentage points).
The data again showed little difference between girls and boys, but clear differences in terms of social background. Children of foreign origin and children of parents with a lower level of education were significantly more likely to be overweight than children of Swiss origin and children of parents with a high level of education. In addition, younger children were significantly less likely to be overweight and obese than older children in middle or upper secondary school.
Early prevention is crucial, as a considerable proportion of children are already overweight at primary level, Health Promotion Switzerland announced. Prevention efforts must take into account specific cultural and social contexts. "It is important to consider not only eating behavior, but also the living conditions and social environment of the children."
©Keystone/SDA
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