BACKGROUNDObesity in the adolescent school going population is an emerging problem in both affluent countries and in developing economies. Different authorities have devised different charts and tables for assessment of pediatric obesity. Different growth charts are based on different population studies in different countries. The two most prevalent assessment tools for paediatric obesity are the CDC 2000 and WHO 2007 Growth Charts.

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The mid arm circumference (MAC) is an anthropometric tool for measurement of nutritional adequacy and growth in the “under five’ paediatric age group. However in adolescent children it is important in rapid and mass surveys. The MAC was measured in 130 healthy school children (84 boys and 46 girls) of 12 – 14 years age of M.G.M’s Sanskar Vidyalaya, N-4 Cidco, Aurangabad using the girth of the arm at the midpoint between the acromial process of the scapula and the lateral epicondyle of the humerus. The study aims to measure the MAC in an adolescent population and compare them with data from previous studies in an attempt to formulate a “normal” range for comparison with similar studies. In the present study, the MAC for 12 year old children varies from 18.81- 20.7cm, for 13 year old children from 20.4- 20.82cm and 14 year old children from 21.12- 21.97cm.The present study gives us a range of ~ 19 – 22cm as the range of MAC in adolescent boys and girls. In spite of several studies on the MAC in adolescents, no consensus has been reached regarding the cut off points for determining under nutrition and overweight. Further studies are required to publish the normal cut off ranges of MAC for the adolescent population of our country.