title: The rising tide of overweight among Kuwaiti children: study from Al-Adan Hospital, Kuwait.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to screen patients who sought medical services in the Pediatric Outpatient Department, Al-Adan Hospital, Kuwait for overweight.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body mass index (BMI) was used to screen 361 children (≤10 years old) for risk of overweight and overweight (BMI between 85th and 94th, and ≥95th percentile, respectively). Overweight children were fully examined and abdominal ultrasound was done for each of them.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 361 children, 52 (14.41%) and 77 (21.33%) were at risk of overweight and overweight, respectively. There was a slight male predominance for overweight (40 males, 51.95%, compared to 37 females, 48.05%) and within the overweight category; 28 males (70%) and 26 females (70.27%) were above 6 years of age. In overweight children over 6 years, 4 (7.41%) had hepatomegaly with fatty changes and 3 (5.56%) had blood pressure above the 95th percentile for age and sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood overweight at Al-Adan Hospital was high and increased with age. Hence childhood screening for overweight is recommended at an early age because it is an important risk factor of chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Al-Adan Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Fawaz Abdullah
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Al-Refaee
authors.forename: Shaima A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Qattan
authors.forename: Shahira M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jaber
authors.forename: Alyah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Mutairi
authors.forename: Sarah S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Al-Dhafiri
authors.forename: May Fouad
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Nassar
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors