The Prevalence of Obesity among Primary School Children in Grenoble

Facing the growing increase of childhood obesity in France, the Grenoble Municipal School Health Service wanted to evaluate the importance of this phenomenon present among elementary school children in the area. A descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective survey was conducted during the 2000/2001 academic year among a group of 1361 children born in 1990.The Quetelet Index was utilized to measure the level of being overweight, and the breaking point levels for being overweight and obese were defined according to new international standards. The prevalence of obesity is approximately 3 % (2.7 % in girls and 2.9 % in boys) and remains constant from nursery school to elementary school. Nearly 35 % of obese children in nursery school remain obese at the end of elementary school.Overweight prevalence is at its highest and increases significantly from nursery school (8.3 %) through elementary school (14 %). The study further revealed that girls aged 10-12 who did not pass and were held back from the next grade are five times more at risk of obesity than those who pass. The Municipal School Health Service has a critical role to play in the prevention of childhood obesity and its early screening and detection.