Abstract
Objectives: The increasing prevalence of overweight, obesity, and underweight in children has implications for their future health and it is vital to understand the modifiable factors that contribute to it. The study’s main objective is to determine the factors associated with the body mass index in children.
 Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 346 school children over a period of 6 months. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire. Physical measurements such as height and weight were obtained from parents. Body mass index was calculated using kg/m2. Children were categorized as overweight, obese, normal, and underweight using their body mass index scores and the factors associated with BMI in children were estimated.
 Results: The prevalence of overweight, obesity, normal, and underweight among children was 10.40%, 17.92%, 24.28%, and 41.67%, respectively. Intake of fast food, sweetened beverages, junk food, and consumption of food while watching television, media time indicated a significant relationship with body mass index.
 Conclusion: Health care professionals should educate parents and children regarding healthy nutrition and regular physical activity. The implications of obesity, overweight, and underweight should be well explained to make desirable lifestyle modifications for a better future.
Highlights
The rising preponderance of overweight and obesity in childhood has leading inferences for their present and future health
About 32% of the children who participated in the study were 6–7 years old, 34.6% were from the age group 8–9 years, 28.6% were from to years age group, and 4.6% were years old
The BMI values of the children who participated in the study, classified in accordance with age, are given in Table 1; here, it can be observed that majority of the children from 6–7, 8–9, and 10–11 age groups were underweight (n=54, 51, 54) when compared to other categories, that is, overweight (n=8, 13, 12), obese (n=26, 28, 8), and normal (n=22, 28, 26), respectively
Summary
The rising preponderance of overweight and obesity in childhood has leading inferences for their present and future health. An energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended is the well-known cause of overweight and obesity in children [1]. Complications of underweight and overweight can influence the physical growth and psychological development of children. Those children have high risks of hypertension, type-2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic, and mental disorders [3]. Consumption of high-fat foods is a reason for increased BMI, but lack of physical activity will play a key role in the energy balance equation. Childhood obesity can be tackled through education, prevention, and viable interventions related to healthy dietary practices and promotion of physical activity at a population level
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