The frequency of obesity among UAE youth is two to three times greater than the recently published international standard. Profound public health implications of childhood obesity for UAE children and young adults are seriously increased because of adult chronic disease processes (e.g. cardiovascular disease, diabetes) normally attendant to increased obesity rates.

The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of obesity among schoolchildren in the United Arab Emirates, using the body mass index (BMI) as the indicator. The sample included 1,787 males and 2,288 females 6-16 years. Physicians and trained nurses measured height and weight, and the BMI (kg/m(2)) was calculated. The 50(th) centile of the BMI was not different from that for the US. Similarly, the height and weight of UAE children approximate the US reference data. About 8% of UAE boys and girls have BMI's >/=95(th) percentile of US reference values. Using the 85(th) percentile as the criterion, 16.5% and 16.9% of males and females, respectively, are classified as overweight. This composite figure does not differ from the expected 15% based on reference data. The data thus indicate that high levels of obesity are present among UAE children and adolescents. These findings have public health implications for this generation of UAE youth during their adult years, including heart disease and diabetes, because the rate of morbid obesity is approximately twice that expected in reference data. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 12:498-502, 2000. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The clinical profile of the initial attack of acute rheumatic fever was studied prospectively in 86 patients, who were admitted to the medical and pediatric units of Basrah Republican Hospital (Teaching), over a period of 2 years. The most common features of the initial attack of ARF were fever, arthritis, and high erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Arthritis was found in 79 patients (91.9%), carditis in 40 patients (46.5%), and chorea in one patient (1.2%). Erythema marginatum and subcutaneous nodules were not observed. No mortality was recorded in this series. The findings of this study show that the clinical profile of the initial attack of acute rheumatic fever in Iraq does not differ substantially from that in the West or in the Third World countries. The objectives of this paper are to report the clinical profile of the first attack of ARF in patients from Basrah, Iraq, and to compare the profile with that prevalent in the West and in other countries. Patients and MethodsThis prospective study included patients with initial attack of ARF who were admitted to pediatric and medical units of Basrah Republican Hospital (Teaching) over a period of 2 years from January 1984 to December 1985. Those with previous history of ARF were excluded.The diagnosis of ARF was made by applying the revised Jones criteria. 6The diagnosis and severity of carditis were assessed as follows: 1. Mild carditis was diagnosed when one or more of the following criteria were present for the first time: a. persistent elevation of sleeping pulse rate in the presence of at least one of the following murmurs; b. significant apical systolic murmur which conducted well to axilla, scored at least grade 2 intensity on a scale of 6, and did not change substantially with respiration or position; c. apical mid-diastolic murmur; d. basal diastolic murmur. 2. Moderate carditis was diagnosed when radiologic evidence of cardiomegaly coexisted with one or more of