More children are morbidly obese

Around 18,500 children in the Netherlands between the ages of two and 18 are morbidly obese, research published on Tuesday shows.

The figures, from research institute TNO and the academic medical centres VUmc and LUMC, translate into one in every 180 child being dangerously overweight.

In 1984, the figure was one in 1,250.

Obesity is particularly prevalent in children with a Moroccan or Turkish background or with low-educated parents, the research shows.

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