Height/weight disproportion in elementary school children.

This paper discusses the importance of studying physical growth patterns in children and presents the results of a survey of height and weight measurements collected on 1,953 children ages 5--11 from 12 schools in a city in the southeastern United States. Approximately 40% of the sample children had height/weight disproportion. Twenty-seven percent of the sample children weighed more than normal for their height. Physical and psychological consequences of childhood obesity are discussed as a basis for intervention with children. The investigators believe that the problems of elevated weight in childhood merits a great deal more study so that groups at risk can be predicted and more effective treatment programs developed. For persons who are overweight, control of weight requires a change in behavior which is essentially an educational process; therefore, it would appear appropriate to have such programs placed within the school setting.