Introduction Developing societies experience a nutritional transition in line with their epidemiological transition. As a diet rich in carbohydrates and fats and poor in fibre spreads, one of the major consequences of the nutritional transition emerges: Obesity. Among all age groups, childhood obesity is especially important, since it is known that it is likely to lead to adulthood obesity; an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This study focuses on early childhood (under age 5) obesity in Turkey. This emerging issue is gaining importance Turkey's public health agenda, and there are already local studies to estimate the prevalence of childhood obesity. However, no national estimates have been obtained until recently, and this study presents the findings obtained for the further analysis study of the Turkey Demographic and Health Survey, 2008.

Methods Data were obtained from the anthropometric measurements in this survey.

Results The national prevalence of childhood obesity was calculated as 5.8%. It was higher in urban areas (6.7%) than rural areas (3.5%). It was also higher in the western region (7.8%), wealthiest households (11.5%); for children with at least high school graduate mothers (9.8%), no siblings (8.4%) and higher birth weights (7.1%). Multiple logistic regression analysis, where being obese was the dependent variable, showed that the birth order and birth weight of the child and duration of breastfeeding were significant determinants of childhood obesity.

Conclusion The results of the study will be benefited by the health planners and administrators to combat this problem as early as possible.