| The prevalence of overweight adolescents is epidemic. Overweight is a potential risk factor for chronic diseases later in life; therefore, it is important to identify characteristics that may cause adolescents to be at risk for overweight. The objective of this study was to identify diet quality, body mass index (BMI), and ethnographic characteristics of adolescents 12 tol9 years old. Data were obtained from the 1994–96 CSFII. The CDC BMI percentile growth curves were used to group 4,050 adolescents into at risk and not at risk for overweight categories. Age, gender, race, origin, region, hours television watched, dieting, and tobacco and alcohol use were factors significant for adolescent's risk for overweight. Adolescents' nutrient intakes were higher than recommendations for protein, fat, cholesterol, iron, and sodium and lower for fiber and calcium. These data indicate that poor diet quality and physical inactivity maybe factors that influence the risk for adolescent overweight. |
