21/03/2003
A study of more than 4,500 11- to 16-year-olds shows that
girls' waists have increased by an average of 2.5 inches
over 10 years. Boys' waists have grown by the same amount
over 20 years.
Calculated on their waist measurement, 38 per cent of girls
and 28 per cent of boys were overweight in 1997 compared
with nine per cent for both sexes, 10 and 20 years earlier
respectively.
Similarly, 17 per cent of girls and 14 per cent of boys were
classed as obese compared with three per cent 10 and 20 years
before.
"We should start to pay attention to the waist measurements
of children which show how much upper body fat they are storing," said
Dr David MacCarthy, senior lecturer in human nutrition at
London Metropolitan University, who led the study, published
in the British Medical Journal.
"Upper body fat is the 'risky' fat, linked to developing
diabetes and heart problems in later life. Paediatricians
have not
really bothered to look at waist measurement, relying on
body mass index (BMI) instead.
He said body mass index charts had been masking the fact
that children had been increasing their fat levels at the
expense of muscle.
"It is possibly a symptom of modern living. Although
kids are eating less, they have a lower rate of physical
activity.
There are lots of reasons for this - mainly an increase in
passive pastimes such as watching TV and playing computer
games."
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003
