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Perspectives in Public Health
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Changes in BMI and prevalence of obesity and overweight in children in Liverpool, 1998—2006

Lynne M Boddy

Research into Activity and Children's Health Group, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, UK Centre for Tourism, Consumer and Food Studies, IM Marsh Campus, Liverpool John Moores University, UK, l.m.boddy{at}ljmu.ac.uk

Allan F Hackett

Research into Activity and Children's Health Group, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, UK Centre for Tourism, Consumer and Food Studies, IM Marsh Campus, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

Gareth Stratton

Research into Activity and Children's Health Group, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

Aims: To investigate changes in mean body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of obesity between 1998 and 2006 in annual cohorts of 9—10-year-old Liverpool schoolchildren.

Methods: Stature and body mass data collected at the Liverpool SportsLinx project's fitness testing sessions were available on 26,782 (n = 13,637 boys, 13,145 girls) participants. BMI was calculated from these data.

Results: BMI z-score increased over time (p < 0.01) in both boys (z-score range = –0.22—0.14) and girls (z-score range = -0.2—0.16), with all years showing significantly higher BMI values in comparison to the first two years of the project (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences between the most recent three years of data in boys and girls. Prevalence of obesity, and obesity plus overweight increased over time. However a `levelling off' in prevalence was observed in the most recent three years of data (2003—2006).

Conclusions: A substantial number of Liverpool schoolchildren are at risk of obesity-related illness and disease. However the most recent three cohorts' data (2003—2006) suggest that the increasing prevalence of obesity may have slowed; a positive step towards meeting the partnership agreement to halt the year-on-year increase in obesity by 2010.

Key Words: Liverpool schoolchildren • childhood obesity • childhood overweight • BMI • obesity prevalence • 2010 partnership agreement

Perspectives in Public Health, Vol. 129, No. 3, 127-131 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1757913908094808
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