Pattern of fat distribution (waist to hip ratio) and body mass index in high school adolescents in Ilam

Background. Adolescence is a critical period of growth and different variables can effect on this process in this age period. The relationship between obesity in adolescence and some metabolic disorders in the future has been reported by many studies. This study was carried out to determine the pattern of fat distribution among high school adolescents in Ilam city in 2013. Method. In this cross-sectional study, 583 high school students were selected with a dedicated multi-stage stratified random sampling method. Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured and BMI and WHR were calculated. Results: The prevalence of being overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity were 21.8 %, 0.7 %, and 39.8% respectively. Age of students showed a significant positive and negative correlation with BMI and WHR (P<0.001). Conclusion: Results of this study showed that adolescents are at increased risk for overweight and obesity. Therefore monitoring the health and nutrition, nutrition education, improve knowledge and sporting for this age group may help to improve health, nutrition and the prevention of many chronic diseases in adulthood.