GROWTH AND BODY-MASS INDEX OF BRAZILIANS AGES 9 THROUGH 17 YEARS

Obesity during adolescence is considered a strong predictor of adult o besity, and obesity and overweight have been increasing among Brazilia n adults, To gauge the relative frequency of overweight among adolesce nts in Brazil,we compared the distributions of body mass index (kg/m(2 )) and stature in national population based samples of the U.S. and Br azil. U.S. adolescents were on average about 10 cm taller than Brazili ans, although growth spurts occurred at the same age for both populati ons. Brazilian adolescents were leaner than their U.S. counterparts, T his difference was reduced among girls in the postpubertal period, At age 17 years, U.S. boys were about 10 kg heavier than Brazilian boys, but the difference among girls was only 2 kg, In families above the po verty level in the more develop ed South region, body mass index distr ibution for boys was closer to that of the U.S., and older girls tende d to have higher body mass index than U.S. girls, Within Brazil, body mass index varied by ethnicity with Mulattos, but not Blacks, of both sexes having lower body mass index than Whites of the same age, Urban adolescents had higher body mass index than those living in rural area s, In general, the patterns seen among Brazilian adults were found amo ng children, Among girls, in particular, overweight has become an iden tifiable problem during adolescence.