title: Age-specific stabilization in obesity prevalence in German children: a cross-sectional study from 1999 to 2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Trends of overweight (ov)/obesity (ob) prevalence among German children aged 4-16 years were studied between 1999 and 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body mass index (BMI) data (>P90 [ov] and >P97 [ob]) from the national CrescNet database were analysed in three age groups: 4-7.99, 8-11.99, and 12-16 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Trend analyses. Data from 272 826 children were analyzed. a) Whole study population aged 4-16 years old. A significant upward trend for ov/ob prevalence was found between 1999 and 2003, and a significant downward trend between 2004 and 2008. b) Subgroup analyses. Ov/Ob prevalence increased in most subgroups studied until 2004. Between 2004 and 2008, a downward trend for ov/ob prevalence was found in children, aged 4-7.99 years, whereas it stabilized in most other subgroups studied. Cross-sectional analyses. Data from 93 028 children were analyzed. Ov/ob prevalence was significantly higher in 2004 compared with 2000 in girls aged 12-16 years and in boys aged 8-16 years. Ov/ob obesity prevalence was significantly lower in 2008 compared with 2004 in children aged 4-7.99 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ov/ob prevalence increased between 1999 and 2003 in German children. Since 2004, this trend has been stabilizing or turning into a downward trend. Our data confirm the global trend of stabilizing prevalence rates of childhood obesity at a high level and add important information for individual age groups. Intervention programs targeted to prevent childhood obesity may have had beneficial effects, and a new balance between factors favouring obesity and those favouring leanness may have been reached recently. Age- and gender-specific differences found in trends of ov/ob prevalence may help optimise preventive and therapeutic measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women and Child Health, University of Leipzig , Germany. susann.blueher@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Susann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blüher
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meigen
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gausche
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pfäffle
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabin
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Werther
authors.forename: Rasha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Odeh
authors.forename: Wieland
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kiess
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors