Sustainable Agriculture and Food: Four volume set (Earthscan Reference Collections)

Table 13.5

Global increases in the prevalence of childhood obesity

a

Country

Index of measurement

Age of children

Date of first study (% obesity)

Date of second study (% obesity)

Growth of obesity incidence from first to second study

USA

b

BMI=95th percentile

6–1112–19

1971/74 (4%)1971/74 (6%)

1999 (13%)1999 (14%)

Up 3.3-foldUp 2 3-fold

England

b

Age-adjusted BMI cut-off linked to adult value of 30kg/m

2

4–11

1984(0.6% boys; 1.3% girls)

1994 (1.7% boys; 2.6% girls)

Up 2.8-fold (boys)Up 2.0-fold (girls)

Scotland

c

Age-adjusted BMI cut-off linked to adult value of 30kg/m

2

4–11

1984 (0.9% boys; 1.8% girls)

1994 (2.1% boys; 3.2% girls)

Up 2.3-fold (boys) Up 1.8-fold (girls)

China

d

Age-adjusted BMI cut-off linked to adult value of 25kg/m

2

6–910–18

1991 (10.5%)1991 (4.5%)

1997 (11.3%)1997 (6.2%)

Up 1.1-foldUp 1.4-fold

Japan

e

>120% of standard weight

10

1970 (<4% boys; =4% girls)

1996(=10% boys; =9% girls)

Up 2.5 fold (boys)Up 2.3-fold (girls)

Egypt

f

Weight-for-height >2 SD from median

0–5

1978 (2.2%)

1996 (8.6%)

Up 3.9-fold

Australia

g

Age-adjusted BMI cut-off linked to adult value of 30kg/m

2

7–15

1985 (1.4% boys; 1.2% girls)

1995 (4.7% boys; 5.5% girls)

Up 3.4-fold (boys) Up 4.6-fold (girls)

Ghana

f

Weight-for-height >2 SD from median

0–3

1988 (0.5%)

1993/94 (1.9%)

Up 3.8-fold

Morocco

f

Weight-for-height >2 SD from median

0–5

1987 (2.7%)

1992 (6.8%)

Up 2.5-fold

Brazil

d

Age-adjusted BMI cut-off linked to adult value of 25 kg/m

2

6–910–18

1974 (4.9%)1974 (3.7%)

1997 (174%)1997 (2.6%)

Up 3.6-foldUp 3.4-fold

Chile

h

Weight-for-height>2 SD from median

0–6

1985 (4.6%)

1995 (72%)

Up 1.6-fold

Costa Rica

f

Weight-for-height >2 SD from median

0–6 (1982)1–7 (1996)

1982 (2.3%)

1996 (6.2%)

Up 2.7-fold