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That was the feeling this week of One Life director Melanie Kauffman, who said fundamental sport and fitness skills were essential to a child’s development.

“Many children watch too much television, play computer games and are not motivated to get outside and get healthy by taking part in recreation activities,” she said.

“This is leading to many health issues for families, of which childhood obesity is just one.”

Ms Kauffman said research had shown that programs such as the One Life Mini Movers class played an important role in promoting a healthy attitude to life for children.

However new research, which was presented at the Be Active ‘09 conference in Brisbane recently, suggests that obesity rates have actually stabilised.

The South Australia University examined all available data relating to trends in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in Australia and overseas since 1985. Surveys of childhood weight status, including data on 264,905 Australians aged between two and 18 years, conducted in Australia between 1985 and 2008 were reviewed.

The results revealed a distinct plateau in the percentage of both boys and girls classified as overweight or obese, with almost no change over the past five to 10 years.

The prevalence rates for overweight and obese children settled at about 23 per cent while the obesity alone plateaued at between five and six per cent.

The conference heard that the statistics mirror recent data from the United States of America, New Zealand, China, Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Greenland, which show strikingly similar trends.

Professor Tim Olds believes this puts into perspective recent ABS reports that state the obesity rate for children has increased from five per cent in 1995 to eight per cent in 2007 and 2008.

However, he maintains that the current focus on obesity is warranted.

Despite Mr Olds’ belief that the rate has not increased as quickly as reported, he says the prevalence rates are still unacceptably high.

“They do entail a high potential health burden,” he said.