Bad influence of advertising, social networks, reality TV or silly and dangerous challenges that abound on the internet? Difficult to decide. According to a new study published this Friday, June 16, 2016 in the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin (BEH) of the French Public Health agency, nearly 20% of young girls aged 11 to 14 suffer from thinness.
In more detail, in 2015, 19.6% of girls aged 11 to 14 had a body mass index (BMI) less than 18. This rate has been multiplied by 5 in the space of 10 years: in 2006, it was “only” 4.6%. As a reminder, the BMI is calculated as follows: the weight (in kilograms) divided by the height (in meters) squared. If the value obtained is between 18 and 25, the individual’s build is considered “normal”. For children, it is also possible to refer to the growth curve present in the health record: this is generally more reliable than the BMI before the age of puberty.
Childhood obesity rate remains stable
The Agence Santé Publique France monitored the development of children’s corpulence from 2006 to 2015. In particular, we learn that 17.2% of children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 suffered from obesity in 2015 – a rate relatively stable since it already peaked at 16.9% in 2006. Moreover, over the same age group and over the same period, the percentage of skinny children rose from 8% to 13%.
If thinness has an impact on the proper development of children and adolescents (it can be the cause of growth retardation, for example), it also has negative consequences on their health: intense fatigue and permanent, nutritional deficiencies, bone, cardiovascular and / or respiratory disorders, reduced life expectancy … To watch out for!
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