[Analyses of the epidemiological status of overweight and obesity in Chinese students and the prevalence changes in recent 15 years].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological status of overweight and obesity in various student groups and the prevalence changes in recent 15 years, in order to take effective preventive measures against obesity.

METHODS: Students aged 7 through 22 years participated in the 1985 and 2000 National Surveys on Students Constitution and Health were used as subjects. The newly established BMI screening criteria for overweight and obesity, to analyze the prevalence among various populations.

RESULTS: In 2000, the prevalence rates of obesity were 4.37%,1.46%,2.32% and 0.92% and that of overweight were 10.38%,4.34%,5.94% and 3.67% for the urban boys, rural boys urban girls and rural girls, respectively, which were all significantly increased in multiple times as compared with those in 1985. However, significant differences could be found among various areas. The prevalence rates of obesity in several metropolitans have reached 9.63% for males and 4.50% for females, and those of overweight have reached 15.29% for males and 8.77% for females, respectively. Most of the other areas are still staying at the early prevalence stage. The prevalence of obesity in the Western China is generally low, and actually no prevalence of obesity is found in the rural female population.

CONCLUSION: It's an urgent task to act on a series of comprehensive measures to prevent and cure the obesity of youth in China's developed areas from now on. However, corresponding effective measures of obesity prevention are also needed in other areas of this country.