Childhood obesity classification systems and cardiometabolic risk factors: a comparison of the Italian, World Health Organization and International Obesity Task Force references.
Giuliana ValerioAntonio BalsamoMarco Giorgio BaroniClaudia BrufaniClaudia ForziatoGraziano GrugniMaria Rosaria LicenziatiClaudio MaffeisEmanuele Miraglia Del GiudiceAnita MorandiLucia PacificoAlessandro SartorioMelania Manconull nullPublished in: Italian journal of pediatrics (2017)
ISPED and IOTF systems performed similarly in assessing overweight and obesity, and were more specific in identifying obese children/adolescents with clustered cardiometabolic risk factors; on the contrary, the WHO system was more sensitive. Given the seriousness of the obesity epidemic, we wonder whether the WHO system should be preferable to the national standards for clinical practice and/or obesity screening.