On Friday 30 March 2007 Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her daughter-in-law Princess Laurentien – who wasn’t announced beforehand – attended an international symposium about overweight young children at the UMCG (University Medical Center Groningen) in Groningen, The Netherlands. Close to my own house, so of course I went there to have a look. In the central hall of the hospital children and grown ups were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Queen of course. The flower boy and flower girl were fully dressed up and were rewarded with a smile and a chat.
During the symposium the UMCG among others presented the first results of the Gecko-research (Groningen Expertise Center for Children with Overweight). They researched the relationship between birth weight and overweight at the age of 15, and whether parents and doctors do recognise overweight at children aged 4-6? And is it possible or even significant to intervene at a young age already. Also foreign researchers presented the latest insights into what causes overweight and how to prevent overweight.
