Childhood obesity in Australia levelled around 1998 and has remained steady ever since, say researchers. However, obesity is still a massive problem. Nearly a quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese, and 5 to 6 percent are obese.
It isn’t clear why obesity has stabilised. The lead author told the SMH it could be a mix of things: improved awareness by parents, positive initiatives at schools and some from industry, while those children who were susceptible to becoming overweight were already fat.
Read more: Sydney Morning Herald, 9 Jan 2009