A recent study of 27 European countries points to the children of the United Kingdom (UK) leading the way in the obesity crisis that is sweeping the industrialized world in recent years. Almost one-third of all British children weigh more than they should.

Doctors from all across Europe report seeing a dramatic rise in obesity-related illnesses among children, including type 2 diabetes, a disease which has historically stricken overweight, middle-aged adults, and the need for children to sleep with masks to prevent suffocation caused by excessive weight blocking the airways. Doctors say measures as drastic as stomach surgery, including gastric banding, is becoming more common as children are thus treated as a means of last resort.

Some sobering statistics:

* Portugal tops the list of overweight girls, with 34.3% weighing more than is healthy for their height.
* 33% of all girls in Scotland are overweight, placing the country in the #2 slot for most overweight girls.
* England ranks at #4, with 29.3% of all English girls overweight.
* Latvia and Lithuania have the fewest (only 3.5%) overweight girls.
* More boys in Spain are overweight than in any other of the 27 European countries counted.
* Like their girls, Scottish boys rank second heaviest, with 35% overweight.
* English boys take place #6 heaviest, with 29% being overweight.
* Again at the bottom of the list, only 8% of Lithuanian boys are overweight.

Experts on childhood obesity say the growing popularity of the couch potato lifestyle is a strong contributing factor to the obesity epidemic in Europe. More children spend time engaged in sedentary passtimes, such as watching TV and DVDs and playing computer games than are engaging in active outdoor activities. To further complicate the issue, more families are forgoing traditional family meals in lieu of fast foods and TV dinners.

The data, compiled by the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), concurs with a growing number of British physicians reporting they are treating toddlers as young as two years of age for obesity. Pediatricians say they have seen a steady climb in obesity rates among toddlers since the early 1990s.

Members of the IASO liken the rate of obesity to a rising tide that seems to have reached the high mark but shows no sign of receding, although the rate of childhood obesity in France is thought to be stabilizing and actually diminishing a bit in Switzerland. The level of childhood obesity in the UK, however, continues to rise.

Restrictions on junk food advertising directed at children, a ban on vending machines on schoolyards, and nationwide drives to encourage healthy eating are thought to useful tools in slowing the rise in childhood obesity across Europe. Speaking on behalf of the charitable organization, Weight Concern, Dr. Ian Campbell, its medical director, calls on a concerted effort between parents, schools, and the government to stop the obesity epidemic in Europe's children. He considers affordable, nutritious meals a priority, alongside safe and accessible exercise facilities for children.

In a separate study of 100 families, cash was shown to be the most effective way to coax children into a more healthy lifestyle. The families followed either a low carbohydrate diet, a low energy (low fat) diet, or they received a weekly letter of motivation. A fourth option included a cash incentive for those who improved their body mass index. With the children, the cash incentive was the most motivating while the adults did better with a combination of all four scenarios.