[Prevalence of obesity in adolescence].
OBJECTIVE
A clinical epidemiological research was conducted in Sardinia on a sample of hig school students to survey the preminence of obesity and overweight during adolescence.


METHODS
304 normal subjects were examined, 161 males and 143 females ranging between 16 and 18 years of age. For each subject the index of body mass was considered then compared to the standard values of population using Hamil schedules.


RESULTS
The survey revealed a normal weight in mostly of the teen-agers. Obesity was observed however in 23.6% of males and in 5.6% of females on what was seen the percentage of overweight or excessively fat subjects is below the percentage of underweight teen-agers (21% of males and 43% of females).


CONCLUSIONS
This difference could be considered the proof of a particular adolescential attitude that seen as a positive aim and is identified with social acceptance and sexual attraction especially among girls. This is confirmed by the fact that when questioned a great number of teen-agers admitted they were or they had been on a diet to lo lose weight.
Romiti
A
A
Cattedra di Endocrinologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Italia.
Salandri
A
A
Imbrogno
N
N
De Angelis
G
G
Ferraro
A
A
Di Mario
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence