Abdominal Obesity Rate Steady Among Children in US: Study

A study says number of children categorized as obese due to large waist circumference or abdominal weight has held steady between 2003 and 2012.

Researchers from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota conducted a comprehensive study on obesity based on large waist circumference (abdominal obesity). The results found that children between the ages of 6 and 18 found to be obese in this period have remained steady. This analysis was conducted on 16,601 children.

The study done between 2003 and 2012 on data provided by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, revealed that the abdominal obesity rate in 2003 -2004 in children was around 18 percent, which was close to the 2011-2012 rates.

"Even though the trends were flat across the years, the prevalence of abdominal obesity is still too high," said senior author Lyn M. Steffen, from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

 The primary indicator of obesity is the waist circumference and the Body Mass Index (BMI).

The highest decline of 3 to 5 percent was seen in the age group of 2 to 5 years. This rate of falling abdominal obesity is a good symbol for the nation.

"It's good the prevalence of abdominal obesity remained the same over the last eight years, but the prevalence is still high, so we need to think about what to do to lower the numbers," said senior author Lyn M. Steffen, to Reuters.

"Parents should be aware that abdominal obesity is a greater risk, and may help doctors identify which children are at greatest risk for health problems," said Ashley Cockrell Skinner of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Abdominal obesity can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, heart disease and type -2 diabetes.

According to the study "Trends in Abdominal Obesity among US Children and Adolescents", researchers do not know why abdominal obesity rates have leveled off between 2003 and 2012, but they believe it could be a result of health policy changes and government awareness of sugar-sweetened beverages.

The report is published in the journal Pediatrics.