Childhood obesity has been attributed to poverty.

Obesity is linked to a variety of negative health consequences. For instance, if a woman is obese before conception or during pregnancy, the risk of autism spectrum disorders in her child is doubled. Additionally, studies have previously noted changes in the brain regions associated with cognitive control in children with obesity.

Specialists from Uppsala University and Lund University in Sweden analyzed how the prevalence of childhood obesity in the country changed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, which found that this condition is more common in regions with a high number of single-parent families as well as families with low income and education levels, was published in the scientific journal Acta Paediatrica.

The authors of the publication examined data from over 300,000 residents of Sweden from various regions and considered six indicators of socio-economic status: the Swedish Care Needs Index (CNI), foreign origin, family members' education level, having only one parent in the family, the family's economic situation, and the percentage of child poverty in the region. The CNI was calculated based on the number of individuals who completed at most secondary school, are unemployed, have children under five years old, are raising children under 17 years old alone, were born outside of Europe, or live alone in old age. An income was considered low if it did not exceed 60% of the average income of families in a specific region.

It turned out that almost all regions of Sweden saw an increase in cases of childhood overweight and obesity during the coronavirus pandemic, and by 2022, their numbers returned to previous levels. However, in several regions, these issues are much more prevalent than the national average.

The authors of the scientific article focused on the differences between regions with higher rates of childhood obesity and others, noting that the former tend to have a greater number of single-parent families, a higher level of child poverty, as well as lower income and educational attainment. According to the researchers, the findings contrast with some other studies, where, in particular, a high care needs index (indicating a higher health risk) was associated with lower rates of childhood obesity.

Nevertheless, it can be suggested that socio-economic instability prevents parents from establishing a "correct" lifestyle for their children, such as choosing quality food, regularly taking them for medical check-ups, and ensuring an adequate level of physical activity. This can be challenging for families due to both a lack of funds and insufficient awareness.

"It is important to draw attention to children in unfavorable socio-economic conditions and provide them with lifestyle recommendations at an early stage. However, we also need to shift the responsibility from the individual to society, where serious efforts are necessary to improve the situation," the researchers believe.