Prevalence of overweight and obesity among secondary school adolescents in an urban area of Lagos, Nigeria.

Obesity is a major public health problem in the world with increasing prevalence among children and adolescents. The current study was a descriptive crosssectional study involving 1100 students attending public and private secondary schools in Lagos. Calculations of body mass index (BMI) were performed, and 513 males and 587 females aged between 10 and 19 years were studied. Prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 5.8% and 1.7% respectively; females had higher prevalence rates than males. Prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in private schools were higher than in public schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]