Abstract
The proportions of overweight and obesity in seven-year-old children in two environmentally different UK based centres: Avon and the Isle of Man (IOM) have been compared. Children in the IOM (particularly boys) were more likely to be overweight and obese, when classified by body mass index (weight [kg]/height2 [m]) (BMI), and waist circumference (WC).
Acknowledgements
We thank all the parents and children in the IOM for participating. We thank Mr AS Townsend and staff of the Jane Crookall Maternity hospital for facilitating the study, Mrs EM Rolfe for recruiting the subjects and managing the clinic, and the many staff who carried out the measurements. In Avon we are grateful to all the families who participated, the midwives for their help in recruiting them, and the ALSPAC team: interviewers, computer and laboratory technicians, clerical workers, research scientists, volunteers, managers, receptionists and nurses. We thank Professor Jean Golding for her helpful comments on preparing the manuscript. The Postgraduate Medical Centre Charity, the IOM Government, and the Dr. Scholl Foundation supported the ELSPAC study in the IOM. The UK Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the University of Bristol provided core support for ALSPAC.