Obesity in children and adolescents 5-19 years

Definition

Proportion of children and adolescents aged 5-19 years with BMI-for-age > 2 standard deviations from the median of the WHO growth reference for children and adolescents.

Relevance

Overweight and obese children are at higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, noncommunicable diseases, disability, and death later in life. Childhood overweight stems from an energy imbalance related to excess caloric intake and inadequate physical activity. Excess weight during adolescence may cause early puberty and longer term health consequences.