“A Treat Is No Small Trick”: Individual Lifestyle, Family Context and Child Overweight/Obesity in Italy

Francesca Rinesi , Istat
Di Giorgio Ginevra, Istat
Francesca Fiori, University of Strathclyde

Childhood overweight and obesity have become a pressing global concern: for the first time, according to UNICEF’s?2025 report, the prevalence among school-aged children and adolescents globally has overtaken under-nutrition. Early-life excess weight is associated with both long-term physical and mental health detriments. Recognising the broad and complex determinants of obesity—ranging from genetics and psychosocial factors to family environment, socio-economic status and lifestyle behaviours—we explore these dynamics in Italy among children and adolescents aged?6–17. Using data from the ISTAT “Aspects of Daily Life” survey (~25?000 households), we build a multivariate model assessing: (1) children’s own behaviours (diet, physical activity), (2) parental and sibling weight status as indicators of potential inter- and intra-generational transmission, and (3) family socio-economic context. We operationalise excess weight via BMI thresholds into a binary outcome. While inherent limitations arise from the cross-sectional design and self-/proxy-reported anthropometrics, the dataset’s breadth allows nuanced examination of familial weight transmission and lifestyle factors. Our results will illuminate how individual, family- and generation-level variables combine to influence childhood overweight in Italy, offering insights for policy and prevention.

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 Presented in Session 29. Flash Session Child and Adolescent Health and Development