A task force working group is developing new benchmarks to define overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. 

A key group member, Dr Tim Cole,  will present some of these findings at the ICO satellite meeting on childhood obesity organized by the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) on the 4th September 1998. 

Prof William Dietz, chairman of the childhood obesity working group, will be co-chair of the ECOG satellite meeting and will also present a paper on "Risk factors of childhood obesity". 

The working group will be meeting  in Paris to continue their work which aims to determine the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents 
world-wide using a standard index. 

Among other issues, the group will also discuss WHO's proposed plans for data collection on physical status at different stages of life.  The meeting is being organized by Dr Mary Bellizzi, IOTF Childhood Obesity Project Manager. 
 
* Provisional assessments from WHO give worldwide estimates of at least 22 million obese children under five.  One in 10 schoolchildren in industrialized countries is obese and the problem is growing in developing countries too. 

The serious implications of obesity were marked by the tragedy of a teenage girl who died weighing 305 kg (672 lbs) in California. 

A court found the mother of the 13-year-old girl guilty of child neglect, but the verdict sparked controversy with the so-called "fat activist" lobby criticizing the judgement, asserting it was prejudicial. 

In contrast the People's Republic of China has launched a far-reaching physical activity campaign in schools and communities to deal with the emerging issues of obesity, overweight and fitness.  China's one child policy has been blamed for the phenomenon of families doting on single children, who have become overweight or obese as a result.