Obesity in Looked After Children: Findings of a Local Audit and Strategies for Intervention (Health Notes) (Report‪)‬

Introduction Obesity has become a major national and global public health challenge in recent years. The Health Survey for England 2009 (NHS Information Centre, 2010) reported that 31 per cent of girls and 28 per cent of boys aged two to 15 years were classified as either overweight or obese. Serious complications of obesity in children and adolescents, with long-term consequences, include lipid abnormalities, type 2 diabetes, raised blood pressure, sleep apnoea, polycystic ovary syndrome and orthopaedic problems. An audit of the prevalence of obesity in looked after children in the London borough of Camden was conducted to identify whether obesity is a health concern for this vulnerable group.