Abstract

CARMENATE MORENO, María Margarita et al. Obesity and waist circumference in teenagers in Madrid. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2007, vol.33, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3127.

The rise of infant obesity is marked and foresees a future of related disorders at the adult age of these kids. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight, obesity and excessive abdominal fat in a group of teenagers living in Madrid, taken as a basis the assessment of the body mass index, the total body fat and the waist circumference. Four hundred and seven teenagers (183 girls, 224 boys) aged 13 to 17 years, who studied in educational centers of the Community of Madrid, were studied in 2005. The anthropometric evaluation took into account weight, size, waist circumference and skin folds. According to the Body Mass Index, it was observed that 18,2% of boys and 24,1% of girls were classified into the categories of overweight and obesity. Waist circumference significantly increased with the age in males; high values of this indicador can be seen in both sexes accompanied by overweight and obesity. The tendency is more acute in females since adiposity indicator values even exceed at some ages the risk values considered for the adult population. The early detection of these problems constitutes an important element for the prevention of morbidity and mortality in the adult population

Keywords : Obesity; overweight; waist circumference; Body Mass Index; adolescence.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )