Prevalence of overweight among third- and sixth-grade children--New York City, 1996.

Childhood overweight is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, and overweight children are at high risk for developing long-term chronic conditions, including adult-onset diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, orthopedic disorders, and respiratory disease. Overweight among children and adolescents in the United States increased from 1976-1980 to 1988-1994. Information is needed to describe overweight in smaller geographic areas for local health planning. This report presents findings from a study examining the weight status of third- and sixth-graders in New York City (NYC) in 1996. The findings indicate a high prevalence of overweight among NYC third- and sixth-graders, regardless of sex or racial/ethnic characteristics.