[The social background of obese children]

Personal data (family situation, father's profession, working vs non-working mother, type of school) of 129 Bavarian children hospitalised for obesity were compared with data from children of the Bavarian population as a whole. Obese children were overrepresented in the low and in the upper socio-economic class. Pupils in special schools were overrepresented. One-parent families were overrepresented (22% vs 14% in the overall population). There is a high proportion of divorces. The percentage of working mothers corresponds with the percentage of working mothers in the overall population. The awareness of obesity as a disease seems to be class-specific. The results of treatment depend on the attitude of the parents.