Abstract
The number of people with overweight and obesity issues has been increasing rapidly worldwide. This increase is related to many factors including physical activity, social background, economic development, cultural practices, etc. This study examined the body mass index (BMI) of 25,373 children, aged 6-12 years, from four Asian cities to assess children's health status and the association of geographical location with BMI issues. BMI data were calculated and classified according to the WHO criteria. Differences in height, weight, and BMI were calculated for boys and girls from different cities. Cross-city analyses revealed significant differences: children from the cities in higher latitudes had the highest chances of problems with overweight and obesity, compared with those in latitudes close to equator. There were a greater number of obese boys than girls. The most rapid increase of overweight and obesity issues in children occurred from ages 8-10 years, suggesting that this was a critical period in their development. Our findings suggest a geographical trend of a gradual increase in overweight and obesity issues from south to north. Weight management and physical activity programs for children aged 8-10 years could be effective for easing the increase among overweight and obesity.
Highlights
The increase in the number of people with overweight and obesity has become almost a worldwide issue in the past three decades [1,2,3]
16.6% of the children were from Bangkok, 60% were from Hong Kong, 2.4% were from Seoul, and 21% were from Tianjin
Significant differences between boys and girls were found in height (t=2.209; 95% CI .0004 to .007; p
Summary
The increase in the number of people with overweight and obesity has become almost a worldwide issue in the past three decades [1,2,3]. Being overweight and obese are associated with many physical and psychological health problems [3], as well as mortality [6]. The WHO recognizes this problem, and the expert consultation report [13] recommended lower Body Mass Index (BMI) cut-off points for determining overweight and obesity in Asia. This strategy needs to consider the geographical effects and the living environment
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