OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the relationship between teenager's adiposity and maternal obesity. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done with 660 teenagers aged 8 to 18 years, of both genders, students of private and public schools of São Paulo. The data were collected by interviews, anthropometric measurements and food intake records. Teenagers' adiposity was determined by body mass index and regression analyses was used to verify its relationship with maternal obesity adjusted for gender, age, stage of sexual development, energy intake, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, birth weight and mother's education level. RESULTS: Most (64.7%) of the teenagers were female. The mean age was 12.4 years (SD=1.80), aged 8 to 17 years. The prevalence of obesity and overweight was higher in boys. No statistical difference was found between nutritional status and gender. After the adjustments, the data show that children of obese mothers were 4 times more likely to be at risk of obesity than children of normal weight mothers. CONCLUSION: Maternal obesity is a great risk factor for adolescent obesity.
Adolescent; Risk factors; Mothers; Obesity
