According to a new study, Irish kids aged five and under are the fattest kids in the whole of Europe. The study stated that about 27.5% Irish children, who are five years old or less, are obese or overweight, while 23% children in the United Kingdom were found overweight.

The study has been presented to the European Congress on Obesity. The findings of the study have come on foot of forecasts that Irish people will be among the heaviest by 2030 in Europe. According to an expert Dr Donal O'Shea, being overweight or obese is worse than cholera and AIDS.

The study has revealed that just 32 of the 53 World Health Organisation (WHO) member states had figures available on the nutritional status of kids aged five and under. As per the study, just 1% kids in Kazakhstan are obese or overweight, while Czech Republic has 6% overweight kids. Belgium has the rate of overweight under-fives at about 7% and Sweden has 8% obese or overweight kids, the study stated.

As per the authors of the study, breastfeeding would have been playing a major role in nations with lower obesity rates. In countries that are dealing with high child obesity, there could be a link to adult obesity, the author stated. According to the authors, they found strong evidence which showed that child weight status is connected with a mother's weight status.

The authors said, "Recent research has tied early life nutrition status to long-term health, increasing the necessity for young populations to be at the forefront of policymakers' minds when discussing interventions and places to target".

The study on weight of under-five kids followed a review of data composed and published since 1998. The data was compiled by the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Drs Joao Breda from regional office for Europe of WHO.