Some 14,000 children and teenagers were put on the scales during the 2019-2020 school year, with 17.1% of them recorded as overweight, the Swiss Health Promotion body said.
Overweight in this case means a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25, the association said. Some 4.2% were obese, with a BMI over 30.
Overall the values were similar to previous measurements, although a significant difference was noted between boys and girls this time. This was especially clear in the 14- to 16-year-old category, where 26.8% of boys were overweight, compared with 21.8% of girls.
This was especially evident in the 14- to 16-year-old age group, where 26.8% of boys and 21.8 percent of girls were overweight.
According to the research presented on Thursday, a number of statistical factors influence the likelihood of being overweight.
One of them is age. The percentage of overweight youngsters increases from 12 percent to 18 percent between playschool and secondary school.
Non-Swiss children are also more likely to be overweight than Swiss children. The single most important factor, however, is the parents’ lack of education.
