11 is a key age for obese children

Children who are overweight or obese by the age of 11 are likely to carry their excess weight into adulthood.

And they are likely to to suffer from related health problems, say UK researchers.

Scientists tracked nearly 6,000 children in Britain over five years and found about a quarter had a weight problem when they entered secondary school.

This new research suggests that by the age of 11 a tendency to be overweight or obese is already set. The researchers highlighted the need for intervention in earlier years.

Source: British Medical Journal, May 2006 332:1130-5