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Trend for obesity prevalence unchanged among children, teens
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The prevalence of children and teens with high BMI has not changed significantly over the last seven years, according to recently published data.
Using height/weight measurements from 8,165 children and adolescents taken for the NHANES survey, researchers from the CDC aimed to determine the prevalence of high BMI with age and identify recent trends for height and weight. They combined data from 2003 to 2004 and 2005 to 2006 due to a lack of significant differences in high BMI prevalence for age.
According to the study, participants aged 2 to 19 years were at or above the 97th percentile of the CDC’s 2000 BMI-for-age growth charts (11.3%), were at or above the 95th percentile (16.3%) or were at or above the 85th percentile (31.9%).
Age and racial/ethnic group caused variations in the prevalence estimates. The researchers reported those aged 2 through 5 years were less likely to have high BMI for age, compared with those aged 12 to 19 years. Non-Hispanic white girls were also less likely to have high BMI for age, compared with non-Hispanic black or Mexican American girls. Overall, the researchers concluded that changes and trends were not significant, but data from 2007 to 2008 are needed. – by Stacey L. Adams
JAMA. 2008;299:2401-2405.
This study presents both good news and bad news. The good news is that the changes in percentiles above 85th, 95th and 97th seem to have stabilized over the last few years. The bad news is that the levels are still very high; 11.3% are above the 97th percentile. There are still too many children in heavy, very heavy and extremely heavy groups for us to be complacent about things. These data suggest that the increasing prevalence may have stabilized at an all too high level, but stabilized nonetheless.
– George A. Bray, MD
Endocrine Today Editorial Board member