Sex differences in prevalence of overweight and obesity, and in extent of overweight index, in children and adolescents (3–18 years) from Kraków, Poland in 1983, 2000 and 2010

Abstract

Objective: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children is now an important health problem. This fact, however, does not reflect the scale of the problem. The aim of the present study was to find how much the BMI threshold was exceeded in a population from Kraków. Design: The study was based on three cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1983, 2000 and 2010. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated based on the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points. In addition to these, an extent of overweight (EOW) index was calculated. Setting: Poland. Subjects: Children aged 3-18 years (n 14 534) from Kraków. Results: Between the populations examined in 1983 and 2010, the EOW index in boys rose by almost 10 %, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity by 39 %. In girls, however, the EOW index decreased by 45 %, while the prevalence of overweight and obesity remained at similar levels. Analyses in separate age groups showed that the EOW index increased only among early adolescents (150 % for boys, 94 % for girls) and late adolescents (390 % and 64 %, respectively). Conclusions: The observed increased prevalence of overweight and obesity mainly concerned boys and was accompanied by an increase in the amount by which the BMI threshold values were exceeded. Keywords BMI Extent of overweight Obesity Economic transformationIn the 1960s, Western nations, especially the USA (1,2) and Western Europe (3) , saw a dramatic increase in the frequency of overweight and obesity. In 1998, the WHO (4) declared obesity a major public health epidemic, both in developed and developing countries, and estimated that by 2025 obesity would concern more than half the adult population in the USA, UK and Australia (4) . A similar trend was found among children and adolescents (5,6) . In the period 1963-1991 in the USA the prevalence of overweight among 6-11-year-old children increased from 15 % to 22·5 %, while the frequency of obesity rose from 5 % to 11 %. In the UK in the period 1989-1998 the prevalence of overweight among children under 4 years of age increased from 14·7 % to 23·6 %, and obesity from 5·4 % to 9·2 %. Between the years 1975 and 1995 in Germany, the frequency of overweight among boys (7-14 years of age) increased from 10·0 % to 16·3 %, and among girls from 11·7 % to 20·7 % (7) . However, relatively recent reports from

Prevalence of underweight and overweight among young adolescents aged 12–15 years in 58 low‐income and middle‐income countries

“…However, the finding was not homogenous. The prevalence of overweight or obesity tended to be higher in girls than boys in some LMICs while a reverse pattern was found in other countries, consistent with findings in previous studies . Sex differences in overweight may reflect cultural factors and differences in physical activity levels .…”

“…The prevalence of excess weight did not differ substantially between ages of 12–13 and 14–15 years in our study, although previous studies found higher prevalence of overweight in early versus late adolescence . This may be due to the narrow age range in our study.…”

Secular Trends in Growth and Nutritional Outcomes of Children under Five Years Old in Xiamen, China

“…This phenomenon is similar to some European countries [27,28], but it was not observed in Jordan [29] or Hungary [30]. The higher prevalence observed in boys might be related to China’s traditional culture, different views of what body shape is most aesthetically pleasing for boys versus girls, and different requirements for their stature [31].…”

The secular trend of overweight and obesity in preschool children from Rzeszow region

“…Kowal i wsp. [14], badając dzieci w wieku 3-18 lat z terenu Krakowa w latach 1983, 2000 i 2010, zaobserwowali, że zwiększenie częstości występo-wania nadwagi i otyłości dotyczyło przede wszystkim chłopców, u dziewcząt częstość pozostała na podobnym poziomie. Meigen i wsp.…”