[The evaluation of the spread of the somatic development parameters (weight, height, BMI) over the population the first-year students of the Medical University of Silesia].

Because of spreading increase of the percentage of obese people in our society, there exists a need to draw attention of young people to this problem. In the investigation the positive measures of somatic growth (weight and height) in the assessment of the intensity of overweight, or obesity were used. In the research 518 women and 323 males were involved, first year students of Medical University of Silesia, admitted in Student's Ambulatory of Medical University of Silesia in years 1989-1993. The level of overweight was estimated by use of Body Mass Index BMI, and by calculation of amount of fat tissue. The overweight estimated by BMI was found in 9.6% of surveyed population, the percentage of males with overweight over two times outnumbered the percentage of women--15.2% and 5.8% respectively. Level of obesity estimated by mathematical calculation by use of a formula for amount of fat tissue is not convergent with BMI results because of very broad range of dispersion of the overweight. The continuation of started research may draw the attention of medical students to problems of obesity, one of the most important risk factors of their future diseases.