Migrant children less obese due to absent grandmothers - study

Children of migrants to Chinese cities have lower rates of obesity than youngsters in more affluent established urban families - probably because their grandparents are not around to over-feed them, a new study has found. Fewer opportunities for unhealthy snacking and less pressure for academic achievement, leading to more active play, also contribute to migrant children's lower obesity rates. Large-scale migration sees millions of Chinese families leave the countryside and settle in the country's biggest cities in search of economic prosperity. However, migrant children are still at risk of increasing obesity because, unlike youngsters from affluent families, lack of parental supervision after school and unsafe neighbourhoods cause them to eat unhealthily and limit opportunities for active play. Researchers at the University of Birmingham interviewed parents, grandparents and teachers at schools in the city of Guangzhou, in southern China. Their study - published today in the journal PLOS ONE - explored the differences in perceived causes of childhood obesity between local and migrant communities. They worked in partnership with the Guangzhou Centre for Disease Control and the Guangzhou Health Care Promotion Centre for Primary and Middle Schools to carry out the first qualitative study to explore and identify these differences in urban China.