Undernutrition and obesity in indigenous children: epidemiology, prevention, and treatment

Abstract

Over the past 50 years there has been a shift in nutritional problems amongst Indigenous children in developed countries from under-nutrition and growth faltering to overweight and obesity; the major exception is small numbers of Indigenous children predominately living in remote areas of Northern Australia. Nutritional problems reflect social disadvantage and occur with disproportionately high incidence in all disadvantaged subgroups. There is limited evidence of benefit from any strategies to prevent or treat undernutrition and obesity; there are a limited number of individual studies with generalizable high grade evidence of benefit. Potential solutions require a whole of society approach.