New reference charts for weight-related body measurements in children.

Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents represent a global health challenge (1). In the Bergen Growth Study, in which 8 299 children from Bergen, Norway, were measured in a cross-sectional survey in the period 2003 – 2006, the prevalence of overweight, including obesity, in the age group 2 – 19 years was found to be 13.2 % for boys and 14.5 % for girls (2). The highest prevalence for both sexes together was 17.0 % for the age group 7 – 10 years (2). Data from the Bergen Growth Study formed the basis for national growth references that are recommended by the Norwegian Directorate of Health (3). The Child Growth Study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, which has monitored Norwegian third-graders since 2008, found in 2015 a similar prevalence of overweight, including obesity, of 13.3 % among the boys and 16.7 % among the girls (4). Overweight and obesity cause considerable health problems for children (5, 6). The development towards overweight starts early in life (7), and overweight in childhood predicts overweight and hence also a health risk in adulthood (8, 9). Treating established obesity is demanding, and it is therefore important to take preventive steps from an early age. Parents often misjudge their children’s weight (10). Prevention of overweight in children therefore depends on regular measurements, accurate diagnostics and good follow-up routines in the public health system. The health risk associated with over-