title: Prevalence of overweight and abdominal obesity in Greek children 6-12 years old: Results from the National Epidemiological Survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide estimates of overweight (OW), obesity (OB) and abdominal obesity (AO) in a sample of children throughout the whole of Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  This epidemiological, cross-sectional survey examined 3,140 children aged 6-12 y (1,589 boys and 1,551 girls) who were selected by stratified sampling through household family members of Greek adolescents attending school. Participants reported data on height, weight and waist circumference (WC). BMI and Waist-to-Height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. AO was estimated using WC and WHtR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall prevalence of OW including OB was 31.2% in boys and 26.5% in girls, while OB prevalence was 9.4% and 6.4% respectively. The prevalence of AO based on WC (AO-WC), was similar in girls (14.2%) and boys (12.5%) while the prevalence of AO, based on WHtR (AO-WHtR), was higher in boys than in girls (25.6% vs 20.0%, p<0.0001). With increasing age, the prevalence of OW and OB decreases in both genders, and AO-WHtR only in girls. Rates of OW were significantly more prevalent in Greeks than in immigrants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight and obesity in Greek children is very prevalent, particularly in boys, comparable with that reported for Mediterranean European countries. Abdominal obesity also appears high. Preventive and treatment strategies are urgently needed to combat this national epidemic.
authors: Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity (HMAO), Athens, Greece.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Tzotzas
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Kapantais
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Tziomalos
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Ioannidis
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mortoglou
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Bakatselos
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kaklamanou
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Lanaras
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Kaklamanou
references: N Engl J Med. 2003 Jun 26;348(26):2595-6
references: 12826632
references: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006 Feb;14(2):289-94
references: 16571855
references: Eur J Clin Nutr. 1997 May;51(5):273-85
references: 9152677
references: J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2001;14 Suppl 5:1327-33; discussion 1365
references: 11964030
references: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1996 May;20(5):488-92
references: 8696429
references: Obes Rev. 2006 Aug;7(3):233-7
references: 16866971
references: Eur J Public Health. 2006 Oct;16(5):520-5
references: 16230317
references: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006 Jul;14(7):1113-7
references: 16899791
references: Ann Nutr Metab. 2005 Mar-Apr;49(2):71-6
references: 15802900
references: J Pediatr. 2008 Feb;152(2):207-13
references: 18206690
references: World J Pediatr. 2008 Nov;4(4):259-66
references: 19104889
references: Hormones (Athens). 2009 Jan-Mar;8(1):53-9
references: 19269921
references: Ann Nutr Metab. 2006;50(4):330-8
references: 16825761
references: Obes Res. 2001 Dec;9(12):754-62
references: 11743059
references: Obes Rev. 2008 Sep;9(5):389-99
references: 18248588
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Aug;72(2):490-5
references: 10919946
references: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Jul;16(7):1718-22
references: 18451778
references: J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2001;14 Suppl 5:1319-26; discussion 1365
references: 11964029
references: Pediatrics. 2006 Nov;118(5):e1390-8
references: 17079540
references: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2006;1(1):26-32
references: 17902212
references: J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2009 May;22(5):389-405
references: 19618657
references: J Endocrinol Invest. 2008 Nov;31(11):979-84
references: 19169053
references: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2006;1(2):109-13
references: 17907323
references: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 Mar;15(3):748-52
references: 17372326
references: Obes Rev. 2005 Feb;6(1):11-2
references: 15655034
references: J Biosoc Sci. 2006 Sep;38(5):695-705
references: 16867212
references: BMJ. 2000 May 6;320(7244):1240-3
references: 10797032
references: Int J Obes (Lond). 2005 Nov;29(11):1353-60
references: 16077716
references: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2007;2(1):62-4
references: 17763012
references: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006 May;14(5):855-62
references: 16855195
references: Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Feb;69(2):308-17
references: 9989697
references: Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep;61(9):1072-4
references: 17251925
references: JAMA. 2008 May 28;299(20):2401-5
references: 18505949
references: BMC Public Health. 2005 May 09;5:45
references: 15882467
references: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2008;3(4):212-6
references: 18608639
references: J Nutr. 2008 Oct;138(10):1951-6
references: 18806106
references: BMJ. 2003 Mar 22;326(7390):624
references: 12649234
references: Eur J Pediatr. 2005 Apr;164(4):216-22
references: 15662504
references: Obes Rev. 2005 May;6(2):123-32
references: 15836463
references: Int J Obes (Lond). 2006 Jun;30(6):988-92
references: 16432546
references: Public Health Nutr. 2008 Sep;11(9):940-5
references: 18489810
references: Pediatr Endocrinol Rev. 2004 Aug;1 Suppl 3:448-54
references: 16444173