According to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, 26% of Spanish children aged 6 to 10 years are overweight and 19.4% are obese.
The data was released during the 61st Congress of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics held in Granada on Thursday.
Excess weight in childhood can lead to health problems in adult life and a diet based on high levels of fat, salt and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients along with a decrease in physical activity during childhood can cause increased risk of hypertension, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, orthopedic dysfunction and psychosocial distress.
The World Health Organisation considers obesity to be one of the epidemics of the century.