A world-first international collaborative study involving the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania (Menzies) and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute has shown that the association between childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk is reduced when obese children become non-obese as adults.

A world-first international collaborative study involving the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania (Menzies) and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute has shown that the association between childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk is reduced when obese children become non-obese as adults.

The results of the study were published in the prestigious international journal, The New England Journal of Medicine.

Cardiovascular disease affects more than 3.4 million Australians, with one in six Australians affected.

Previous research has shown that overweight or obese children who are obese as adults have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, and cardiovascular disease.

However, it was not previously clear whether the association between childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk persists when overweight or obese children become non-obese as adults.

Menzies' Professor Alison Venn, investigator on the Australian arm of the study says the research found the disease risks among overweight or obese children who became non-obese by adulthood were similar to those among persons who were never obese.

"The good news is that this shows that childhood obesity does not permanently increase cardiovascular risk if obesity in adulthood is avoided" Professor Venn said.

"However, preventing obesity at all ages is still the key message, as very few obese children became non-obese in adulthood."

The study looked at long-term follow-up data of over 6,000 people in three countries. Over an interval of almost 25 years, only 15 per cent of children who were of normal weight were obese as adults, whereas 82 per cent of those who were obese as children were obese as adults.

Professor Terry Dwyer, from Murdoch Childrens Research Institute says the study demonstrates that it's never too late for children to get into shape. 

"These findings reinforce the concept that it is worthwhile helping overweight children to reach a normal weight as they become adults."

This study was also conducted in collaboration with the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland.

The study analysed data from four large studies of cardiovascular risk factors that have followed children participants into adulthood; the Bogalusa Heart Study (United States), the Muscatine Study (United States), The Childhood Determinants of Adult Health Study (Australia) and the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (Finland).

Information Released by:

Fiona Horwood, Communications Manager

Phone: 6226 7751 Mobile: 0409 357 384

Email: Fiona.Horwood@menzies.utas.edu.au

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