The prevalence of obesity in children is rapidly rising, leading to many serious
consequences worldwide. In 2005, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional
Office for Europe issued recommendations and guidelines for regular collection
of data on weight, height, and waist and hip circumference in children worldwide
in order to monitor prevalence trends of growth, overweight and obesity. The
Department of Health and the Health Service Executive commissioned the National
Nutrition Surveillance Centre, based at the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy
and Population Science in University College Dublin, to carry out this surveillance
work in the Republic of Ireland.