Thinness, overweight, and obesity in 6‐ to 9‐year‐old children from 36 countries: The World Health Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative—COSI 2015–2017

Spinelli, Angela; Buoncristiano, Marta; Nardone, Paola; Starc, Gregor; Hejgaard, Tatjana; Júlíusson, Petur Benedikt; Fismen, Anne‐Siri; Weghuber, Daniel; Musić Milanović, Sanja; García‐Solano, Marta; Rutter, Harry; Rakovac, Ivo; Cucu, Alexandra; Brinduse, Lacramioara Aurelia; Rito, Ana Isabel; Kovacs, Viktoria Anna; Heinen, Mirjam M.; Nurk, Eha; Mäki, Päivi; Abdrakhmanova, Shynar

doi:10.1111/obr.13214

Thinness, overweight, and obesity in 6‐ to 9‐year‐old children from 36 countries: The World Health Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative—COSI 2015–2017

Journal

Obesity Reviews

Date Issued

2021-07-07

Author(s)

Spinelli, Angela

Buoncristiano, Marta

Nardone, Paola

Starc, Gregor

Hejgaard, Tatjana

Júlíusson, Petur Benedikt

Fismen, Anne‐Siri

Weghuber, Daniel

Musić Milanović, Sanja

García‐Solano, Marta

Rutter, Harry

Rakovac, Ivo

Cucu, Alexandra

Brinduse, Lacramioara Aurelia

Rito, Ana Isabel

Kovacs, Viktoria Anna

Heinen, Mirjam M.

Nurk, Eha

Mäki, Päivi

Abdrakhmanova, Shynar

Rakhmatulleoeva, Sanavbar

Duleva, Vesselka

Farrugia Sant'Angelo, Victoria

Fijałkowska, Anna

Gualtieri, Andrea

Sacchini, Elena

Hassapidou, Maria

Hyska, Jolanda

Kelleher, Cecily C.

Kujundžić, Enisa

Kunešová, Marie

Markidou Ioannidou, Eliza

Ostojic, Sergej M.

Peterkova, Valentina

Petrauskienė, Aušra

Popović, Stevo

Pudule, Iveta

Russell Jonsson, Kenisha

Dal‐Re Saavedra, Maria Ángeles

Salanave, Benoît

Shengelia, Lela

Tanrygulyyeva, Maya

Tichá, Ľubica

Usupova, Zhamilya

Ozcebe, Lütfiye Hilal

Abildina, Akbota

Schindler, Karin

Weber, Martin W.

Filipović Hadžiomeragić, Aida

Melkumova, Marina

Stojisavljević, Dragana

Boymatova, Khadichamo

Williams, Julianne

Breda, João

DOI

10.1111/obr.13214

Abstract

In 2015–2017, the fourth round of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) was conducted in 36 countries. National representative samples of children aged 6–9 (203,323) were measured by trained staff, with similar equipment and using a standardized protocol. This paper assesses the children's body weight status and compares the burden of childhood overweight, obesity, and thinness in Northern, Eastern, and Southern Europe and Central Asia. The results show great geographic variability in height, weight, and body mass index. On average, the children of Northern Europe were the tallest, those of Southern Europe the heaviest, and the children living in Central Asia the lightest and the shortest. Overall, 28.7% of boys and 26.5% of girls were overweight (including obesity) and 2.5% and 1.9%, respectively, were thin according to the WHO definitions. The prevalence of obesity varied from 1.8% of boys and 1.1% of girls in Tajikistan to 21.5% and 19.2%, respectively, in Cyprus, and tended to be higher for boys than for girls. Levels of thinness, stunting, and underweight were relatively low, except in Eastern Europe (for thinness) and in Central Asia. Despite the efforts to halt it, unhealthy weight status is still an important problem in the WHO European Region.