Recent research found an increase in the prevalence of overweight among children between 1998 and 2004. In this study, C.L. Ogden and colleagues investigate the prevalence and trends in overweight among children between 2003 and 2006. As part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, height and weight measurements, as well as basic demographic information, were obtained for over 8,000 children and adolescents. From these measurements, researchers calculated each participant's Body Mass Index (BMI) and categorized it according to the Centers for Disease Control BMI-for-age growth charts. In analyzing data for 2003-06, Ogden and colleagues found 11.3% of children and adolescents were at or above the 97th percentile of BMI, 16.3% had a BMI at or above the 95% percentile, and 31.9% had a BMI at or above the 85th percentile. In addition, the authors found that high BMI differed significantly by age and racial/ethnic group, but did not differ by sex. For example, 2- to 5-year-olds were significantly less likely to have high BMI than 12- to 19-year-olds. Ogden and colleagues investigated changes over time and found no significant changes in the prevalence of high BMI between 2003-04 and 2005-06. Additional data will be helpful in further investigating any trends.
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