[Screening of obesity, overweight and thinness in a children population in Rome, Italy]

Objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of obesity, overweight and thinness in a children population in Rome, Italy.

The study sample was created, after informed consent, in a school in Rome, available to the study project. A total of 595 children (289 males, 306 females), aged between 6 to 19 years, underwent following measurements: height and weight, evaluation of body mass index.

A normal BMI was recorded in 73.6% of cases. Morbid obesity, obesity, overweight, and thinness grade 1 and 2 prevalence was 1.2%, 4%, 15.3%, 9.2% and 3.8%, respectively, without statistical differences in both genders, except the prevalence of overweight that resulted statistically significant (11.4% females vs. 19.3% males, P<0.05). Differences in the age groups have been found. About 17.2% and 18.7% of children between 7 to 11 years were overweight and obese and about 33.3% and 26.6% between 6 to 8 years thin grade 1 and 2, respectively.

The study suggests a prevalence of overweight and obesity in our sample lower than that reported in a recent epidemiological survey carried out on Italy. Attention must be taken to underweight, particularly with regard to the most severe form, as a public health problem for all possible risks correlated. In addition, our study shows the involvement of specific age groups. This finding, if confirmed in a larger population, should be associated with a major attention on specific age groups at risk, in order to plan an appropriate treatment program.