The Prevalence Of Overweight And Obesity In Pre-School And School Aged Children (2-12years) In Rural And Urban Areas Of Ebonyi State.

ABSTRACT

Childhood obesity is one of the most challenging Public Health issues of the 21st century (WHO, 2014). As early as 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO, 1998), pronounced obesity in childhood a prime public health epidemic, that demands urgent intervention. Obesity among under-fives has maintained an increase at an alarming rate (Childhood overweight and obesity, 2014), affecting about 43 million under five aged children in 2010 representing a 60% rise since 1990 (de Onis et al., 2010). Furthermore, it has been predicted that in 2020 the number of overweight and obese under-fives will reach 60 million globally if interventions are not put in place to control the current epidemic (de Onis et al., 2010).