In France, as in all industrialized countries, the prevalence of overweight and obesity continues to rise, among adults as well as children and adolescents. Childhood overweight and obesity often persist into adulthood and are associated with increased risks of morbidity and mortality among individuals who were overweight during adolescence, even among those who return to a normal weight as adults. Since 1999, the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Health have been conducting, in partnership with the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, a triennial cycle of surveys on children’s health in schools. The first survey, conducted in the final year of preschool during the 1999–2000 school year, estimated the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) at 14% among 5- to 6-year-olds according to international standards. The most recent survey, conducted among fifth-grade students during the 2001–2002 school year, revealed a prevalence of 20% among 10- to 11-year-olds. While prevalence rates for overweight children are available at the regional level in these studies, they are not available at the departmental level. The school health service of the Haute-Savoie department, aware of the problem of overweight among children and adolescents, sought to assess the nutritional status of adolescents in its department and identify factors associated with overweight in order to implement targeted prevention and health education initiatives. (R.A.)