[Comparative assessment of methods for identification of overweight and obesity in children]

Obesity in school-aged children is very common in the WHO European Region. However, there is no unified approach to the diagnosis of childhood obesity in the organized collective bodies. It is evident that the physical development of schoolchildren needs regular monitoring. Methods for identification of overweight and obesity were comparatively assessed, by using the data on the physical development of 63 children aged 8 to 16 years, including 33 children diagnosed as having obesity and 30 with normal weight. It has been established that it is expedient to use anthropometric and somatometric methods for mass diagnostic screening for overweight and obesity in the organized collective bodies.