Trend of Obesity in School Age Children in Seoul Over the Past 23 Years

Abstract

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in prevalence and the epidemiology of obesity in school age children of Seoul, Korea during the last 23 years with coherency and under the same standards. Methods:We used the new 1998 standard weight for height to calculate obesity on the personal data from five years and produced a coefficient of correlation that could be applied to previous obesity prevalence results. Results:From age six to 17, the average body mass index increased 5.7 in boys and 6.2 in girls. The prevalence of obesity according to age peaked around age 11 and age 13-14, and increased again at 16-17 in boys. In girls, there was a peak at the age of 10 and a second peak which was at age 16 in 1979, but the age of the second peak gradually came down to a younger age, to age 13, in 2002. Obesity in girls increased steadily after the second peak. In 1979 and 1981, there were many more underweight children than obese. In boys, obesity had risen to 11.0% by 1997 and rose abruptly to 17.9% by 2002 and in girls, to 9.0% by 1997 and 10.9% by 2002. Mild, moderate, and severe obesity also increased with the increase of obesity. Conclusion:As Korea became developed, obesity became more frequent than underweight. Obesity increased rapidly and the increase rate accelerated in boys, whereas though it increased, the increase rate slowly decreased in girls. (Korean J Pediatr 2004;47:247-257)