title: Trends of Underweight and Overweight/Obesity Among Japanese Schoolchildren From 2003 to 2012, Defined by Body Mass Index and Percentage Overweight Cutoffs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the prevalence and trends of underweight and overweight/obesity in a population-based sample of Japanese schoolchildren from 2003 to 2012, defined by body mass index (BMI) and percentage overweight (POW).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects comprised fourth and seventh graders from the town of Ina, Japan, from 2003 to 2012. The height and weight of each subject were measured. Children were classified as underweight, normal weight, or overweight/obese using two criteria: BMI cutoff points proposed by the International Obesity Task Force and cutoffs based on POW in Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 4367 fourth graders and 3724 seventh graders were analyzed. The prevalence of underweight and overweight as defined by POW criteria were lower than those based on BMI criteria. There was a decrease in the prevalence of overweight among fourth-grade boys and girls and seventh-grade girls according to BMI; this decrease was also observed when POW criteria were used for the definition of overweight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence and trends of both underweight and overweight as defined by POW were underestimated among Japanese schoolchildren compared to those determined using BMI. The results of this study also suggest that trends in underweight and overweight/obesity using POW criteria are similar to those based on BMI criteria among schoolchildren in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Showa University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirasawa
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.forename: Hinako
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nanri
authors.forename: Rimei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Tadahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohtsu
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Akatsuki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kokaze
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology*