Greater attention should be given to strategies aimed at preventing weight gain and obesity. These are likely to be more cost effective and have a greater positive impact on the long- term control of body weight than strategies designed to deal with obesity once it has fully developed. 

The Committee adapted relevant strategies recommended by WHO (1998) and the Surgeon General’s Report (US DHHS 2001) for this section.

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The prevalence of child obesity is increasing rapidly worldwide (WHO 1998). It is associated with several risk factors for later heart disease and other chronic diseases including hyperlipidaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, hypertension and early artherosclerosis (Berenson et al. 1998). In view of its public health importance, the trends in child obesity should be closely monitored. Trends are, however, difficult to quantify or to compare locally and internationally, as a wide variety of definitions of child obesity are in use, and no commonly accepted standard has yet emerged (Cole et al. 2000).

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In some communities even till today, weight gain and fat storage have been viewed as indications of good health and increasing wealth. As the standard of living continues to rise, weight gain and obesity has emerged as one of the most common and serious nutritional problems confronting many communities all over the world today. Obesity is a chronic disease, prevalent in both developed and developing countries, and affecting all age groups. Indeed, it is now so common that it is replacing the more traditional public health concerns, including undernutrition and infectious diseases, as one of the most significant contributors to ill health (WHO 1998). The problem may stem from the limited knowledge of the health impact of obesity compared with such fatal conditions as stroke and coronary heart disease. 

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