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Obesity and overweight are best defined as an accumulation of excessive fat that may be harmful to general health condition. The International Obesity Task Force, 2010, stated that about 155 million children in school age are obese or overweight around the world. Evidence linking adolescent and childhood central obesity to increased risk of morbidity and obesity in adulthood is of particular concern (WHO, 2009). The concern about childhood obesity trends is increasing due to the assumption of the association between earlier onset and longer duration of obesity and with a greater cardiovascular risk. Definition of obesity and overweight for adolescents and children uses age and sex specific normograms for body mass index. Anthropometric indices are predictive of central obesity like waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and waist-height ratio. Dramatic increases in health care costs have been noticed in the last two decades due to obesity among adolescents and children, since obesity is an independent risk factor for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions. Thus, preventing and reducing childhood obesity, particularly in preadolescents has driven a worldwide attention.
About the author
Nayera Elmorsi Hassan - Research Professor; Department of Biological Anthropology, Medical Research Division . Sahar A. El-Masry - Research Professor and Head of Biological Anthropology Department . Omar Hosni Dwidar - Researcher Assistant; Department of Biological Anthropology, Medical Research Division, National Research Centre.
