One out of five Australian children are overweight before they start school, with one in 20 being obese, University of Sydney scientists have warned Monday.

New research showing this widening public health problem costs the nation 17 million Australian dollars per year (12.8 million U.S. dollars).

Children that are obese aged between two to four, will cost 1.6 times more per year than a child of a healthy weight due to medical expenses incurred primarily by hospital treatment, the study conducted by the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health found.

On average, each obese child will cost 367 Australian dollars (277 U.S. dollars) more than non-obese children.

These figures are concerning healthcare workers and medical professionals, who see the issue growing, especially in younger children.

"Our estimate of the annual cost to the Australian healthcare system of obesity in children aged under five further highlights the importance of prevention in an age group that is often overlooked by researchers and public health professionals," the author of the study wrote.

source: Xinhua