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By Teresa Smith

One in four Canadian children is considered overweight — among the highest rates in developed countries, according to a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released Wednesday.

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Some children grow out of obesity, but others grow into adults with severe weight issues, which can cause diabetes, heart disease or other chronic health problems.

The Health at a Glance report, which combines health statistics from 34 OECD countries to give a comparative picture of health care systems around the world, showed only Italy and the United States scored higher on the childhood obesity index.

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In a related measure, the prevalence of diabetes in Canada is also among the highest in the group of countries, said Brenda Tipper, from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

And, although the rate of diabetes has slowed in the last three years, it is still on the increase, said Tipper.