The number of overweight and obese preschool-aged children is declining in Alberta, according to a study from the University of Alberta.
Severe obesity rates, however, remain unchanged.
The research looked at 160,000 children, ages four to six, between 2010 and 2017. The rate of severe obesity was 2.2 per cent over the eight year period.
“The fact that severe obesity has remained fixed is concerning,” Padma Kaul, professor of cardiology at the University of Alberta and senior author of the study said in a written release. “We need to figure out what's going on there because those are the kids who end up using the most healthcare resources and are most at risk for developing heart disease or diabetes down the road.”
The proportion of overweight children decreased from 17.8 per cent to 15.7 per cent, and the obesity rate went from 4.7 per cent to 4.2 per cent.
Higher household income and breastfeeding in a child's early years are associated with a lower risk of obesity.
The University of Alberta team will be studying the causes of childhood obesity further thanks to another Novo Nordisk Alberta Diabetes Fund (NOVAD) grant, which will fund an 18-month study.
The study will work to identify children at risk of obesity or severe obesity sooner.
“We know that lifestyle interventions to manage obesity in children are most successful when children are younger," said Geoff Ball, a professor of pediatrics at the U of A, Alberta Health Services Chair in Obesity Research and lead author on the study. "If we could support families sooner, then we may be more effective at improving their weight trajectory as they get older.”
The research paper was published in the Pediatric Obesity journal in July.
