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Global Obesity Report Findings |
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Written by Craig - GKA Staff
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Saturday, 24 January 2004 |
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One in 10 of the world's schoolchildren are overweight, and about 45 million of them have an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses before they leave their teens, according to the first global assessment of child obesity.
The report estimates that at least 155 million, or 10 percent, of kids between the ages of 5 and 17 are too heavy, and almost 45 million of them are obese.
The report found that in South Africa, 25 percent of teenage girls are overweight which is similar to the average in New Zealand.
It also found that in Europe, childhood obesity has increased steadily, with the highest prevalence in southern European countries.
In the United States the number of overweight Hispanic and black pre-teenage children rose twice as fast during the 1990s than did white children.
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