Physical Activity in the Very Young Child

Abstract

Worldwide, the prevalence of overweight people continues to rise. Especially, the increase in overweight children is of great concern. In 2000, 10% of all children aged 5-17 were overweight, a total of 155 million. Early childhood (defined as between 0 and 5 years of age) has been identified as one of the most critical periods for the development of obesity in later years. It is estimated that 22 million children below 5 years of age are currently overweight, and children from ethnic minority groups have a higher risk of obesity compared to their Caucasian peers.