Secular changes in the nutritional status of Hungarian children and adolescents during the last two decades

Abstract

Background: The growing prevalence of childhood obesity is very unfavourable, not only because obesity may increase the risk of many serious diseases, but because obese children are very likely to become obese adults, and adult fatness is accompanied by a high prevalence of physical and psychic disorders. Objective: To present changes in the nutritional status of Hungarian children and adolescents as observed during the past twenty years on the basis of the 1st (1983-1986) and 2nd (2003-2006) National Representative Growth Studies (NRGS). Subjects: NRGS I: 39,158 children and NRGS II: 27,958 children, aged 3-18 years. Methods: Body height and mass, BMI, skinfold thicknesses, body composition and the Heath-Carter somatotype were used to estimate body development and nutritional status. Centiles for measurements were derived by the LMS method. Fat mass and lean body mass were estimated using Siri's and Durnin-Rahaman's formulas. Results: (1) A marked positive change could be observed in body height, body mass and in subcutaneous skinfold thicknesses.(2) The somatotype moved towards a fatter and less robust body build. (3) The fraction of fat mass contributed more to the secular increment of body mass than the fraction of lean body mass. (4) Both the medians and the 90th centiles of BMI markedly exceeded those recorded 20 years ago and (5) The prevalence of overweight and obese children has become much higher in all age groups of girls and boys up to age 15. Conclusions: The increase in height was not accompanied by a proportionate increase in body mass. The components of total body mass did not alter in parallel: the children became not only heavier, but also fatter. It is mirrored in their more endomorphic somatotype and in the higher prevalence of overweight and obesity.