The Long-term Follow-up Studies of Childhood Obesity after Puberty / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We studied the prevalence and long-term trend of childhood obesity after puberty to help in managing and treating obesity. METHODS: We surveyed obesity index of children at age 13 and 17 who was diagnosed as obesity at their age 7. 1,559 students consisting of 753 boys and 806 girls had followed up since 1992 until 2002. Obesity was defined as the obesity index over 20 percent. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity was 3.1% at age 7, 7.1% at age 13 and 13.0% at age 17, which increased significantly with getting older in age in both sex. Among obese children at age 7, 67.5 percent remained obese at age 17. 66.6% of the obese boys at age 7 and 68.4% of the obese girls at age 7 remained obese at age 17. The proportion of severe obesity in obese boys was increased as they were old, but not in obese girls. The progression to moderate and severe obesity at age 17 was prominent for obese boys at age 7, compared to the obese girls. 12.7% of normal weight boys at age 7 and 9.8% of normal weight girls at age 7 became obese at age 17. CONCLUSION: We think that the prevention and treatment of obesity during puberty is as important as those in the childhood.