Childhood obesity rise a class matter?

There may be evidence of a levelling off in the rise in UK childhood obesity figures (see Fair's Fare 16 December), but it's not affecting everyone equally, according to research published in the International Journal of Obesity. The team from University College London (UCL) looked at data from the Health Survey for England between 1997 and 2007, aiming to update trends amongst school-age children and consider how the "socioeconomic gradient" has changed. They found that although there has been stabilisation in the prevalence of obesity, "children from lower socio-economic strata have not benefited from this trend." The latest release from the Health Survey for England, providing data from 2008, was published in December. Along withthe usual summary data, the subject focus for this release is physical activity and fitness. The survey also provides information on smoking, obesity, healthy eating and alcohol consumption.