The implications of this study for the
health care system in Peru are considerable,
but the effects of obesity are likely to
extend beyond health care infrastructure.
Obesity could compromise economic
growth due to short-term absences from
work, long-term disability, and premature
death (56–58). There is evidence
to
suggest that this problem will worsen
with increasing development, unless preventive
measures are taken (59). We have
used data from a well-established cohort
study to establish the prevalence of overweight
and obesity and examine the risk
factors for obesity in a sample of Peruvian
children. The prevalence of overweight
and obesity were 19.2% and 8.6%, respectively.
In an upper-middle-income
country
such as Peru, this high prevalence of
childhood overweight and obesity is a
considerable public health concern with
implications for the wellbeing of these
children now and in the future.