Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children between the ages of six and twelve in low and medium-low income countries: a systematic review

introduction Overweight and obesity are no longer limited to developed countries; they are becoming a reality for children between six and twelve years old in low and medium-low income countries. Most of these countries are threatened or are already facing a new health crisis, the co-existence of under and over nutrition, this is what we call the double burden. The aim of this review of the literature is to present prevalence of overweight and obesity among these children. Method For this review of the literature the following online databases (PUBMED, EMBASE,WHO, UNICEF) were searched, as well as the references cited in the selected articles, to establish the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school children (six to twelve years old) of both sexes in low to medium-low income countries. The “World Bank list of economies” of December 2016 was used to select the eligible countries. Only articles published between 2006-2016 were considered. Ultimately, 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results Data show that overweight and obesity are present among school-aged children, in developing countries, along side underweight and stunting. Overall Asia showed the highest percentage of both overweight and obesity. However, similar trends have been observed between countries and continents. Conclusion Although the major nutritional concern in developing countries remains undernutrition and stunting, the rise of overweight and obesity among school children is non-the less worrisome. Through our review, we hope to raise awareness of this growing issue