Obesity among Swedish boys shows decreasing trend

Among Swedish boys, childhood BMI and the prevalence of both overweight and obesity have stabilized after reaching their high point in 1991 and may be showing signs of decreasing, according to study findings presented at the European Obesity Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.

“Our study shows that childhood BMI, overweight and obesity for Swedish boys have increased dramatically since birth year 1946 to birth year 2006,” Maria Bygdell, PharmD, a PhD student at the Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, told Endocrine Today. “But childhood BMI, prevalence of overweight, and prevalence of obesity have stabilized — or as preliminary results show, have decreased — after the peak in birth year 1991.”

Bygdell and colleagues analyzed data from the population-based BMI Epidemiology Study Gothenburg, analyzing height and weight data from boys born every fifth year between 1946 and 2006 (1,588 boys for reference birth cohort; 425 boys for each birth cohort 1951-2006) using school health records. Researchers calculated BMI at age 8 years for all boys.

Researchers found that mean BMI at age 8 years increased 0.88 kg/m² during the study period, but the increase emerged in the 1971 birth cohort, peaked in the 1991 cohort and stabilized after.

As a result, there is an increased OR for having overweight or obesity for different birth cohorts vs. the 1946 reference population, according to researchers. Boys born in 1971 were 63% more likely to have overweight and 55% more likely to have obesity vs. boys born in 1946; boys born in 1991 were 5.4 times more likely to have overweight and 10.7 times more likely to have obesity; boys born in 2006 were 4.2 times more likely to have overweight and 10 times more likely to have obesity.

Adjustment for population changes did not alter results, according to researchers.

“Rates of overweight and obesity are still at a high level, even with the preliminary decline,” Bygdell said. “We will need to continue monitoring the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity and see how this trend develops, and continue to work with prevention of obesity and overweight. The next step is to investigate the consequences of the increased childhood BMI.”

The researchers said they are now investigating the trend in Swedish girls. – by Regina Schaffer

Reference:

Bygdell M, et al. Oral presentation OS7.06. Presented at: European Obesity Summit; June 1-4, 2016; Gothenburg, Sweden.

For more information:

Maria Bygdell, PharmD, can be reached at Vita Stråket 11, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden; email: maria.bygdell@gu.se.

Disclosure: Bygdell reports no relevant financial disclosures.