Description of the nutritional state in a sample made of public school's students from the city of Vilcún, 9th región, Chile

Abstract

Chile shows an increasing growth in the prevalence of obesity, partly associated with the current economic and social development =del. The studies related to the body-mass index (BMI), utilize the parameters recommended by the WHO to find out people's nutritional state. This study was carried out to describe the nutritional reality of public school's students from de city of Vilcún. The sample was made of 1682 teenagers of both female and male sexes; 887 males (52,7%) and 795 females (47,3%), aged between 6 and 18. The results evidenced an overage overweight and obesity which fluctuated from 23.7% for men and 23.6% for women. The ages at which there is more overweight and obesity are at the age of 6,7 and 10. The probable factors are the modification of life styles, nutrition and effects of the sedentary life.