title: Prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2- to 6-year-old Italian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2- to 6-year-old Italian children and to compare the prevalence between the north and the south of the country.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study of 2150 subjects (M/F: 1137/1013), 5.36 +/- 0.83 years of age. The sampling areas were Verona (north Italy) and Messina (south Italy). We used definitions of overweight and obesity using BMI values, with cut-off values proposed by the International Obesity Task Force.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of overweight was 16.6% (males: 13.9%, females: 19.6%), and it was higher in the south (males: 17.8%, females: 22.4%) than in the north (males: 11.3%, females: 17.9%). The prevalence of obesity was 8.0% (males: 8.3%, females: 7.7%), and it was higher in the south (males: 12.3%, females: 10.7%) than in the north (males: 5.7%, females: 5.8%). Using the Centers for Disease Control reference charts, the prevalence of overweight and obesity of Italian children was close to that reported in children living in the United States (32% vs. 32.7%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of overweight and obesity in young Italian children is very high, and it is rapidly growing. In the south of the country, the prevalence is higher than in the north.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mother and Child, Biology-Genetics, Pediatrics Section, University of Verona, Piazza LA Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy. claudio.maffeis@univr.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maffeis
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Consolaro
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavarzere
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chini
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Banzato
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grezzani
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silvagni
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salzano
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tatò
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors