Trends in Body Mass Index and Prevalence of Extreme High Obesity Among Pennsylvania Children and Adolescents, 2007–2011: Promising but Cautionary

Abstract

Overall trends in child and adolescent BMI status seemed positive. BMI transition patterns indicated that although overweight and obesity prevalence leveled off, extreme high obesity, especially among elementary students, is projected to increase substantially over time. If current transition patterns continue, the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and extreme high obesity among Pennsylvania students in 2031 is projected to be 16.0%, 6.6%, and 23.2%, respectively.

Exploring Categorical Body Mass Index Trajectories in Elementary School Children

“…Periodic measurement and comparison of BMI status over time can provide information to schools for developing programs aimed at at-risk elementary students to prevent them from moving to obesity. Results of this study support the suggestions of Lohrman et al 19 that evaluations should be conducted at the elementary school level to comply with or initiate development of obesity prevention policies and program initiatives, as well as to determine which, if any, school-based initiatives are clearly associated with improved BMI trends, and therefore, might provide the greatest benefit. In addition, study results buttress the call of Balistreri and Van Hook 16 for interventions that focus on preschool children's environments, especially for low SES Hispanic children.…”

“…In addition, information about the timing of weight gain may be helpful for the development of effective interventions . A number of studies have focused on body mass index (BMI) change from childhood to adolescence or adolescence to adulthood and have highlighted the importance of understanding growth trajectories …”

“…16 A number of studies have focused on body mass index (BMI) change from childhood to adolescence or adolescence to adulthood and have highlighted the importance of understanding growth trajectories. [13][14][15][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] However, as seen in Table 1 only a few studies have focused on BMI growth trajectories solely during childhood. 11,16,[25][26][27] Balesteri and Van Hook 16 modeled prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) from K to eighth grade.…”

Advancing the Care of Children and Adolescents with Severe Obesity: A Reason for Clinical Subtyping

“…The prevalence rates of children with severe obesity are increasing rapidly, with significant disparities noted: Higher rates of severe obesity are reported among lower socioeconomic status and ethnic and racial minority groups. Even more concerning is that the rate of conversion from obesity to severe obesity over a 4-year period among Pennsylvania middle and high school students is 42-44 percent (Lohrmann et al, 2014). Severe obesity affects more children than autism spectrum disorders, cystic fibrosis, and cancer combined (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013;National Cancer Institute, 2013) and can have devastating consequences in childhood such as early atherosclerosis, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, psychological problems, and a greater risk for obesity in adulthood and premature death (Kelly et al, 2013).…”

Body Mass Index Screening and Follow-Up: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study of Pennsylvania School Nurses (Preprint)

“…Rising rates of childhood overweight and obesity contribute to increased risk of chronic disease and other health concerns [1,2] that directly affect a student's academic performance. [3] While many environmental factors play a role in the rising prevalence of obesity, school-based health services hold enormous potential to affect children's health outcomes given the fact that children spend the majority of their waking hours in school settings.…”