
The prevalence (36%) of overweight in this multiethnic inner-city pediatric clinic population exceeded the reported national data from NHANES III. Among the ethnic populations, and between male and female children, the prevalence of overweight was similar. This study shows that 29% (17 of 58) of the overweight children (2 to 18 years of age) had their diagnoses and intervention (15 of 17) documented in the medical record. In these 17 subjects, nutrition, exercise, and/or behavioral counseling were used, alone, or in combination, as an intervention with nutrition counseling being the most frequent therapy used by the providers. Further analysis revealed that blood pressure and cholesterol determinations were measured more frequently in the not documented overweight children than in those with normal weight. The rea son for this finding is not clear, and only leaves to speculation that the providers perhaps recognized an increased body weight, but failed to document the finding in the medical record. Medical documentation of overweight increased with increasing level of residency training. Higher blood pressure values were recorded in the overweight children than in normal weight children irrespective of the presence or absence of documentation. The average cholesterol level was also increased in overweight children between two and 18 years of age as compared to normal weight children, but the difference did not reach significance.

































