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SUPPLEMENT ARTICLES:
Bonnie A. Spear, Sarah E. Barlow, Chris Ervin, David S. Ludwig, Brian E. Saelens, Karen E. Schetzina, and Elsie M. Taveras
Recommendations for Treatment of Child and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity
Pediatrics 2007; 120: S254-S288 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
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[Read eLetters] Definitions of child overweight and obesity
Lorenzo Monasta   (19 November 2008)

Definitions of child overweight and obesity 19 November 2008
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Lorenzo Monasta,
Epidemiologist
Maternal and Child Health Institute IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste

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Re: Definitions of child overweight and obesity

monasta{at}burlo.trieste.it Lorenzo Monasta

Carrying out a review on interventions for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity in children under five years of age, as part of the activities of Work Package 3 within the HOPE Project (Health Promotion through Obesity Prevention across Europe, www.hopeproject.eu), we ran into the review by Spear and colleagues.1

In the introductory paragraphs the authors define as threshold for overweight a BMI between the 85th and the 94th percentile and for obesity a BMI ¡Ý95th percentile. No mention to what growth chart the authors are referring to.

Without a reference to specific growth charts, the transformation of a BMI value into a percentile does not make much sense. One of the two references cited2 takes us to a new reference3 from which we gather the authors base their affirmations on the CDC 2000 charts. The second cited article gets in a lot more detail about national and international definitions of child overweight and obesity.4

We feel an important and useful revue such as the one published by Spear and colleagues should more clearly define the terms of the problem.

1. Spear BA, Barlow SE, Ervin C, et al. Recommendations for Treatment of Child and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity. Pediatrics. 2007;120;S254- S288

2. Weiss R, Dziura J, Burgert TS, et al. Obesity and the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2362¡§C2374

3. Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Grummer-Strawn LM, et al. CDC growth charts: United States. Advanced data from vital and health statistics. No. 314. Hyattsville, Md.: National Center for Health Statistics, 2000:1-27 (DHHS publication no. (PHS) 2000-1250 0-0431)

4. Speiser PW, Rudolf MC, Anhalt H, et al. Childhood obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;90:1871¡§C1887

Conflict of Interest:

None declared