BEARING OF HEIGHT, WEIGHT AND SKINFOLD THICKNESS ON OBESITY IN 4 SOUTH-AFRICAN ETHNIC-GROUPS OF SCHOOL PUPILS OF 17 YEARS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 29  (1) , 82-90
Abstract
Studies on height, weight and skinfolds in 4 anatomical regions were made on groups of South African black, colored, Indian and white pupils 17 yr old. Examination of weight for height compared with weight for age data revealed high percentages of obesity particularly in non-white groups. Obesity is not only reflected in higher mean umbilical skinfold values found in the short, lighter urban Indian, also colored and black girls, compared with taller, heavier white girls, but in high percentages of body weight as fat. There was an unexpected similarity of mean triceps skinfold values in the different ethnic groups. The problem of overweight and obesity in adolescent subjects, who remain underheight, whether from nutritional, genetic or adverse environmental factors, may be aggravated by school feeding schemes, as once the physiological demands of the pubertal growth spurt are met, obesity is occurring in these former so-called malnourished groups. The obesity occurs without dietary intervention.

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