One In Five Kids Overweight Before They Even Start School

Worrying new figures out today reveal nearly one in five Australian children are classified as overweight or obese before they're five.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's report, A Picture of Overweight and Obesity in Australia, reveals nearly one in ten children aged 2–4 were also classified as obese (9 per cent), which is a doubling of the 1995 figure (4 per cent).

That statistic jumps to more than one in four (27 per cent) for children and adolescents.

31 per cent of kids aged 10–13 are now classified as overweight or obese, compared to 24 per cent of those born between 1982–1985.

Children and adolescents living in regional or rural areas are more likely to be overweight or obese than those in major cities.