Ten-year obesity and overweight prevalence in Greek children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 2001-2010 data.
OBJECTIVE
While the US today has the highest rates worldwide of obesity, Europe, and particularly Southern Europe, is catching up fast. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of obesity in Greek children, aged 1-12 years.


METHODS
A systematic review--including all studies published in English and Greek from January 2001 until December 2010 regarding childhood obesity, using the IOTF criteria--was performed. Twenty-five out of 134 published studies were finally selected, including 219,996 boys and 210,772 girls.


RESULTS
Meta-analysis revealed that 10.2% (CI 95%: 9.8-10.7%) of Greek children (1-12 years) are obese, 23.7% (CI 95%: 22.7-24.8%) are overweight and the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity is 34% (CI 95%: 32.7-35.3%). Subgroup analysis by gender showed that 11% of the boys and 9.7% of the girls were obese, while 24.1% of the boys and 23.2% of the girls were overweight. The combined prevalence of excess in body weight predominated in boys (35%), while in girls the above prevalence was 32.7%. Cumulative analysis revealed an upward trend of the phenomenon (2001-2003), followed by a stabilization (2003-2010).


CONCLUSIONS
During the decade 2001-2010, 1/10 Greek children was obese and 3/10 were overweight. The implementation of policies to reverse childhood obesity is of the utmost urgency.
4th Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Eleni P
EP
Kotanidou
Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Maria G
MG
Grammatikopoulou
Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
Bessie E
BE
Spiliotis
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, First Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Christina
C
Kanaka-Gantenbein
Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Maria
M
Tsigga
4th Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Assimina
A
Galli-Tsinopoulou
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence