OBJECTIVETo evaluate the abnormal state of liver function and plasma lipid levels of obese schoolchildren who were screened by weight-for-height criterion and new body mass index criterion respectively.

METHODS280 obese children were screened by weight-for-height criterion and 125 obese children were screened by body mass index criterion in a routine school check-up program. All of the latter subjects was included in the former one. One obese child and 1 non-obese child were matched for gender and age. 14 items related to liver functions and plasma lipids were measured.

RESULTSOf the abnormal items,7 items in 125 obese children screened by new BMI criterion and 5 items in 155 "obese children" excluded by BMI criterion, were significantly higher than those children among controlled group. The abnormal rates were 10.4%-22.9% in the former and 3.2%-13.0% in the latter.

CONCLUSIONSThe new BMI criterion seemed to be more stringent than weight-for-height. Less than a half of the obese children screened by weight-for-height were taken on obese children by new BMI criterion. The overweight children who were screened by BMI criterion also had abnormal liver functions and plasma lipids.