title: Child height and the risk of young-adult obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood obesity is a major risk factor for adult obesity, and obese children tend to be taller than their normal-weight peers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate whether childhood height influences the probability that normal or overweight children become overweight young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved a multicenter prospective cohort of subjects assessed in both third grade and 12th grade, n=2802. Main exposures were CDC childhood BMI categories and height quartiles from third-grade measurements. Main outcome measure was CDC adult BMI categories from 12th-grade measurements. Associations between childhood height quartiles, childhood BMI categories, and adult BMI categories were assessed using chi-square tests and logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 79% of overweight children remained overweight as young adults. Among children who were overweight or obese, the probability of becoming an overweight or obese young adult was 85% for children in the top quartile of height and 67% for children in the bottom quartile of height (p=0.007). Among children who were normal weight, the probability of becoming an overweight or obese young adult was 25% for children in the top height quartile versus 17% for children in the bottom height quartile (p=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When clinicians classify children by BMI categories and counsel about the risk for future obesity, they should recognize that greater height may be a marker for increased risk of adult overweight and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55414, USA. sstovitz@umphysicians.umn.edu
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Stovitz
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hannan
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lytle
authors.forename: Ellen W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Demerath
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Himes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology