Objective The objectives of the study were to reveal an increase of obese and overweight pre-school children over a six-month period and to identify the factors which led to it.

Methods We carried out an evaluation study on nutrition state in the pre-school children coming from an urban kindergarten, from September, 2007 to March, 2008. Criteria for inclusion: children aged 3 to 7 years with BMI>percentile 95 for age and gender in obesity, 85<BMI<95 percentile for age and gender in overweight, 85<BMI<5 percentile for age and gender in eutrophy and BMI<5 percentile for age and gender in dystrophy.

Results Out of 235 children, 46 (19.6%) were obese, 41 (17.4%) overweight, 145 (61.7%) eutrophic, and 3 (1.3%) dystrophic. The distribution on gender was: 1 boy and 2 girls in dystrophy; equal in eutrophic cases; 70.7% overweight girls, and 63.04% obese boys. Within the study group, we evaluated, over a six-month period, the weight curve, Body Mass Indexes (BMI), the dietary pattern, and the children exercise. After the six-month observation period, the reevaluation established: 2 (0.08%) cases were dystrophic, 128 (54.5%) eutrophic, 51 (21.7%) overweight and 54 (23%) obese.

Conclusions We noticed that the number of obesity and overweight cases is growing, especially in boys. In 2/3 of these cases we noticed both a quantitative and qualitative alimentary abuse, associated with a lack of exercise in 45% of cases.