At the National Childhood Obesity Center of the Karolinska University Hospital at Huddinge, Stokholm, Sweden, all files from the school health care of children within the Stockholm city area born in 1982 were screened. Files with weight and height measurements from 7 to 14.5-19 years of age were selected and overweight and obesity were calculated: 138 boys (7.7%) and 167 girls (9.7%) were either obese or overweight and 83% of them remained so at the last measurement. There were no differences if the last measurements were obtained at 14-16 years or later. 71 % of boys and 43% of girls with severe obesity remained obese and, interestingly, none of the boys and 21 % of the girls obtained normal weight.

As for eating habits, these are also usually developed early in life, they accord with family patterns and are modified only slightly over the years. Sometimes these habits conform to ideal food recommendations from the viewpoint of maintaining and fostering good health, however, more often they do not.

In studying health risks associated with childhood obesity, a survey was recently conducted at the Epidemiology & Population Center of the Institute of Food Science, in Avellino, Italy, in order to evaluate body fat distribution and blood pressure in a large sample of school children according to the IOTF (International Obesity Taskforce) criteria for definition of childhood overweight and obesity. 1720 children participated and underwent anthropometric indices and blood pressure measurements. Blood pressure was found to be significantly higher in overweight and obese children who also showed higher waist circumference and waist/hip ratio in comparison to normal-weight children. Similar results were obtained when analysis was made separately for boys and girls.

This was the first report showing that the IOTF criteria to define childhood overweight and obesity allow for the identification of children with a worst profile of cardiovascular risk (higher blood pressure and cental fat deposition), thus further reinforcing their clinical and prognostic value.

Another study was also conducted in Italy by the National Institute of Statistics (Rome) and the Euro Mediterranean Scientific Biomedical Institute (Brindisi) aiming at presenting a measure of the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Italy and in its different geographical areas, using internationally agreed definitions. The purpose of the study was also the analysis of the relation between overweight and obesity and some risk factors, in order to identify the groups of population with the highest risk of bearing excess body weight. The data analysis was made on a sample of 17949 persons and it allowed to identify the groups of young population (6-17 years) with the highest risk of obesity or overweight: It is mainly males, residents in the South and living in less wealthy families with obese or overweight parents.

Hence, in Italy, as in the rest of Europe, USA, and many other parts of the world, overweight and obesity are increasing and have reached a dimension that requires to be monitored. The study confirms that parents' excess body weight is a strong and positive predictor of child overweight and obesity. A majority of children who will later become obese adolescents are identified as obese/overweight at the age of 7. Overweight screening and initiation of obesity treatment at this age is therefore recommendable. The family plays a crucial role in the transmission of healthy lifestyles, especially for the youngest. In terms of prevention, the level of education of the family becomes essential, and in particular of the mother, who plays a fundamental role in the care of children.

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