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We have read with great interest the news item about obesity in Spain
in which the proportions of children overweight and obese are given as 26%
and 19%, respectively. In this context, overweight did not include the
obese children. These Spanish prevalence values are then compared with
values found in Italy and Portugal as part of the World Health
Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (WHO-
COSI). The highest prevalence of overweight, defined with the 2007 WHO
growth reference and cut-off points, was found in Italy (44%) followed by
Portugal (38%). According to WHO definitions, the prevalence estimate for
overweight children include those that are obese, and thus the given
Italian and Portuguese values are not comparable with the Spanish values.
To make them comparable with the Spanish overweight values one would need
to exclude the obese children. For Italy, the prevalence values would then
become 23% for overweight and 21% for obesity. While it remains true that
the problem of overweight children is serious, to cite the prevalence of
overweight including obesity for some countries but not for Spain is prone
to misinterpretation.
Yours sincerely.
Dr. Angela Spinelli, Dr Anna Lamberti (National Institute of Health)
and Dr. Daniela Galeone (Ministry of Health), Italy
Competing interests:
No competing interests
20 July 2011
Angela Spinelli*
Head of the Maternal and Child Health Unit,
Anna Lamberti*, Daniela Galeone**
*National Institute of Health;**Ministry of Health
Spanish and Italian childhood obesity prevalence
Dear Sir,
We have read with great interest the news item about obesity in Spain
in which the proportions of children overweight and obese are given as 26%
and 19%, respectively. In this context, overweight did not include the
obese children. These Spanish prevalence values are then compared with
values found in Italy and Portugal as part of the World Health
Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (WHO-
COSI). The highest prevalence of overweight, defined with the 2007 WHO
growth reference and cut-off points, was found in Italy (44%) followed by
Portugal (38%). According to WHO definitions, the prevalence estimate for
overweight children include those that are obese, and thus the given
Italian and Portuguese values are not comparable with the Spanish values.
To make them comparable with the Spanish overweight values one would need
to exclude the obese children. For Italy, the prevalence values would then
become 23% for overweight and 21% for obesity. While it remains true that
the problem of overweight children is serious, to cite the prevalence of
overweight including obesity for some countries but not for Spain is prone
to misinterpretation.
Yours sincerely.
Dr. Angela Spinelli, Dr Anna Lamberti (National Institute of Health)
and Dr. Daniela Galeone (Ministry of Health), Italy
Competing interests: No competing interests