High prevalence of overweight and obesity among inner city Chinese children in Shanghai, 2011.
BACKGROUND
In China, the prevalence of overweight and obesity appears to be increasing at unacceptable levels among young people living in major cities undergoing rapid economic growth.


OBJECTIVE
To report the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Shanghai inner city youth using the recently published International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) Asian definition.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of children aged 8-15 years who participated in the Shanghai Schools' Physical Fitness Examinations, a representative school-based survey. Height and weight were measured and body mass index (kg/m(2)) was calculated. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was determined using the IOTF children's BMI cut-points for Asian populations, equivalent to an adult BMI of 23 g/m(2) (overweight) and 27 kg/m(2) (obese).


RESULTS
The prevalence of combined overweight and obesity was 49.1% for boys and 30.8% for girls aged 8-15-years. Almost one-in-five boys were obese, compared with 8.4% of girls. In boys the prevalence of overweight appeared to increase from age 10 years.


CONCLUSIONS
The high prevalence of combined overweight and obesity among urban Chinese youth, especially among boys, requires immediate health promotion intervention.
School of Public Health, Fudan University/Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Chinese Ministry of Education , Shanghai , PR China and.
Xiao-Xiao
XX
Jiang
Louise L
LL
Hardy
Louise A
LA
Baur
Ding
D
Ding
Ling
L
Wang
Hui-Jing
HJ
Shi
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014505:Urban Population
Aadolescents; China; body mass index; child; obesity; urban