OBJECTIVES: to determine the prevalence of excess weight in schoolchildren from the city of Natal. METHODS: transversal study with 1927 children aged 6-11 from public and private schools in different zones in the city of Natal, in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and analyze related variables, such as gender, age-group, type of school and city zones. All scholars with a body mass index equal to or greater than the 85th percentile were considered as having excess weight. RESULTS: the prevalence of excess weight among the studied scholars was 33.6%. There were no significant differences between genders and age-groups. In the private schools, the prevalence of excess weight was 54.5%, while in the public schools, 15.6% (p<0.01; OR=6.49). The prevalence of excess weight was greater in schools located in the zones with the best quality of life, east-south zone (41.3%), if compared with schools in the north-west zone (28.4%) (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of excess weight in scholars was found high, demonstrating the importance of programs of treatment and prevention. The biggest prevalence in children studying in private schools and in children studying in schools located in the best zone of the city reflects the importance of association between the best socioeconomic levels and these entities in regions of developing countries.
Prevalence; Obesity; Child
