A Study on the Physical Growth and Food Habits of Obese Children

비만아(肥滿兒)의 신체발육(身體發育)과 식습관(食習慣)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究)

For the purpose of ascertaining the status of physical growth and food habit of obese children, a study was made of 1086 primary school children ranging between 2nd and 3ra grades living in Kwang-ju City in Korea. 66 subjects were selected from an anthropometrical point of view and they were classified into two groups, an obese group and a control group, according to their relative body weight. Food habits of each group were observed by means of questionnaires. In the statistical analysis of the data, percentage calculation and T-score test were used. The results of the study can be summarized as follows; 1) Viewed from relative body weight, 3.0% of the 1,086 subjects turned out to be obese, and the measure of skinfold showed 2.4%. 2) Physical growth of the obese growth is superior to that of the control group in all aspects. 3) The average score of food preference by means of Hedonic scaling method by the obese group is 3.90, while that of food preference by the control group is 3.76. The most favored food by the obese group is ice cream (4.91), while that of most favored food by the control group is banana (4.75). The statistically meaningful foods of the two groups are cucumber (0.02>p>0.01), orange (p<0.02), peach(0.05>p>0.02), watermelon (p <0.01) and ice cream (p<0.01). The score of food preference for protein foods by the obese group is 3.78 and that of food preference by the control group is 3.57(0.05>p>0.02). The excessive food intake per meal of the obese group is 45.4%, while that of the control group is 19.7% (0.05>p>0.02). Ratio of taking severely unbalanced food by the obese group is 15.1%, while that of the control group is 50.0% (p<0.01). 4) 30.3% of mothers of the obese group is fat, while 15.1% of mothers of the control group is fat (p<0.01). Concerning body weight at birth, 90.9% of the obese group and 63.6% of the control group are above-average weight. (p <0.01). From the results shown above, the obesity in children is almost due to food. It is hoped, therefore, that overeating be discouraged through the nutrition education.