• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.664-670
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the obesity prevalence and relationship between the degree of obesity and risk for coronary heart disease in elementary school children in Kyungbuk area from 1996 to 1998. One hundred eighty obese children aged 8 yrs through 11 yrs(112 boys : 68 girls) were chosen depending on the criteria of obesity degree, and then the subjects were classified into one of three groups according to the degree of obesity; mild(20-29%), moderate(30-49%), and severe( $\geq$ 50%) obesity, fasting blood was collected in the morning, and body fat, plasma total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride were measured. LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index were also calculated. The obesity prevalence increased from 7.1% in 1996 to 9.5% in 1998. As body fat level increased, blood triglyceride level increased(p < 0.001). As the degree of obesity increased, the level of blood triglyceride(p < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure(p < 0.05) also increased. The risk fur coronary heart disease based on criteria of the level of total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index increased from 6.9%,1.4% and 13.9% in 1996 to 28.3%, 18.7% and 17.0% in 1998, respectively. The number of risk factors relating to coronary hero disease increased, as the degree of obesity increased, especially in girls. The results suggest that there is some potential relationship between children obesity and the incidence of coronary hero disease. Thus, this study implicates that desirable nutrition education may be needed for obese children.