Epidemiology of obesity among youths

Epidemiology of obesity among youths

Maryam Barzin, M.D. (MPH)

Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences

Obesity Research Center

4th  Oct 2012 

• Difficult due to great physical changes occurring during childhood and adolescence
• Potential classifications:
  • Weight-for-height percentiles
  • Percent of ideal body weight
  • Skinfold measures
  • Body Mass Index [BMI]

• Weight centile alone is useless as it does not consider height
• Height for weight is better but does not differentiate between increased muscle or fat
• BMI reflects the degree of fat content best
• BMI = Weight in Kg / Height in m2

• Obesity is not overweight.
• Obesity is excess body fat
• In adults
  • BMI ≥ 25 is overweight
  • BMI ≥ 30 is obese
• In children
  • BMI ≥ 85 centile for the age is overweight
  • BMI ≥ 95 centile for the age  is obese