An education programme which successfully cut the level of
obesity in children by teaching them about healthy eating and
discouraging fizzy drinks was no longer effective three years
after the intervention came to an end, according to a study
published on bmj.com today. The authors say the original study
provided hope that simple interventions could have an impact on
obesity levels but they now believe these sorts of programmes
need to be continuous if their long term effect is to be
properly assessed. Ten percent of the world’s school age
population is estimated to be overweight. In the UK it has been
forecast that by 2010 nearly one in five boys and one in four
girls will be obese. Janet James and colleagues say a number of
studies have shown the relationship between fizzy drinks and
obesity, a link which has also been acknowledged by the World
Health Organisation. The Christchurch Obesity Prevention
Project, also known as the “Ditch the Fizz” campaign, was run
for a year in six junior schools in Southern E