Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity of Preschool Children in Vranje (Serbia) According to the WHO and CDC Recommendations

Overweight and obesity are widespread worldwide among children of all age groups, and the prevalence among preschool children has been steadily increasing over the past twenty years. The aim of was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity of preschool children in Serbia based on the recommendations given by the WHO (World Health Organization) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The sample of respondents consisted of children from the preschool institution “Our Child” (serb. Naše dete) from Vranje, Serbia. A total of 380 children participated, of which 195 were boys (51.3%) and 185 were girls (48.7%). The age of the child ranged from 2 to 7 years, that is, from 26 to 84 months. In order to determine the weight status, the children’s body weight and height were measured, on the basis of which the Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. The obtained BMI values were interpreted based on the recommendations given by the WHO and the recommendations given by the CDC. Research results based on the WHO recommendations showed that 11.1% of the total number of children are overweight and 11.8% are obese, while based on the CDC recommendations, 11.8% of the total number of children are overweight and 7.9% are obese. Also, the research showed that there is no difference in the weight status categories between boys and girls. However, the results show that the proportions of overweight and obese children obtained using the WHO recommendations differ significantly from the proportions of overweight and obese children obtained using the CDC recommendations. High percentages of overweight and obesity among preschool children in Vranje require adequate measures to be taken in order to stop and reduce their growth.