Childhood obesity and socioeconomic status: a novel role for height growth limitation

To assess prevalence and socioeconomic context of overweight and obesity in a cohort of Scottish children. Cross-sectional study. Primary schools in Dundee, Angus, and Fife, Eastern Scotland, UK. A total of 1240 boys and 1214 girls aged between 4-10 y. Weight, height and body mass index (weight/height2). Overall overweight or obesity prevalence was 24.6%, while prevalence of obesity alone was 6.1%. Individuals from schools with a high level of low-income families were 65% more likely to be overweight as judged by BMI. However, these children weighed the same as more affluent children of the same age, but were 1.26 cm shorter. These data confirm the continued increase in childhood obesity in the UK and reveal a role for height-growth limitation in the absence of overall growth restriction, among children from low-income groups. This observation raises important questions regarding socioeconomic environmental factors in promoting the currently increasing levels of obesity.