Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among high school girls in Isfahan

The Prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents has increased dramatically in the last decades in industrialized and non industrialized countries. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among high school girls in Isfahan. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Isfahan. 384 high school girls were selected with cluster-random sampling. Anthropometric measurements including weight and height were taken by a single person. Data were analyzed to determine underweight, overweight and obesity rates, using the NHANES1 reference data for body mass index (BMI) for age. Higher rates for underweight were observed in 18 years girls (14.1%) and higher rates for overweight and obesity were observed in 14 years girls (25%). The overall prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among Isfahan high school girls were 7.03%, 9.1% and 1.03% respectively. Compared to most other cities in our country, the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity were lower in Isfahan girls aged 14-18 years.