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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313959
Title: Height, weight and body mass index of girls and boys in a rural school in Punjab India

Author
item Kahlon, Talwinder
item SINGH, AMARJIT - Bhagat Puran Singh Memorial Sen School
item MAHAJAN, ALPNA - Bhagat Puran Singh Memorial Sen School
item Chiu, Mei Chen

Submitted to: Indian Journal of Applied Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2015
Publication Date: 9/14/2015
Citation: Kahlon, T.S., Singh, A., Mahajan, A., Chiu, M.M. 2015. Height, weight and body mass index of girls and boys in a rural school in Punjab India. Indian Journal of Applied Research. 5(9):332-334.

Interpretive Summary: Body weight and height were recorded once a month for 12 consecutive months for 632 students, age 8-23 years in a rural school in Punjab, India. Body Mass Index (BMI) is accepted way to determine underweight, normal, overweight and obesity. 20% of the students with BMI <16 were severely thin. 92% of the students with BMI <25 were in good health. However 6.3% girls and 6.8% boys were overweight and 1.4% girls and 0.7% boys were obese. In US overweight and obesity in school age children is nearly four times higher. Adopting higher activity and lower caloric intake and monthly monitoring height weight could lower obesity epidemic in US school age children.

Technical Abstract: All the students at this Bhagat Puran Singh Memorial School in Punjab, India were educated about the importance of caloric intake and physical activity. Body weight and height were recorded once a month for 12 consecutive months for 632 students, age 8-23 years (7584 observations). For US and Europe use of the current body mass Index (BMI) standards is appropriate and for Asia two BMI unit lower standards should be adopted. In this rural school in Punjab 3.2% girls and 2.1% of the boys would be considered undernourished with BMI <14. Those with ideal normal weight (BMI 16.5-22.99) were 60.8% girls and 59.9% boys. With BMI 14-23 those to be considered in good health were 84% of both girls and boys. 10.3% girls and 11.6% boys were overweight and 2.7% girls and 2.5% boys were obese. Even using the International BMI (<16) standard then 20% of the students of this school would be considered severely thin. 6-7% of the students had BMI over 25-29.99 those would be considered overweight by and less than 1% as obese with BMI >30. Implementing such a proactive approach globally by motoring weight and height every month could make significant awareness and impact on the obesity epidemic and lower the risk of related diseases. Early age education have the potential to last life time to make world population healthy, productive, and physically fit to serve in national and international security.