Gender Perspectives on Adolescent Eating Behaviors: A Study on the Eating Attitudes and Behaviors of Junior Secondary Students in Hong Kong

ObjectiveThis research aimed to investigate the eating attitudes and behaviors of junior secondary students in Hong Kong, with a specific focus on possible gender differences.DesignA survey was conducted in 2005 to solicit data about participants' food knowledge, eating attitudes and behavior, perceptions of cooking skills and body weight, and related factors influencing food choice.SettingTwenty-three secondary schools located in different district areas of Hong Kong.ParticipantsThe sample was composed of 836 students (41% male, 59% female) aged 11-18 years selected by random sampling.AnalysisCross-tabulation analyses were used to compare the responses by gender.ResultsRegardless of gender, less than half of the sample ate breakfast every day, and their consumption of fruits and vegetables was below recommended daily intakes. No significant differences were observed between respondents' eating habits and levels of food knowledge.Female students were more weight conscious than male students. Dissatisfaction about body weight was common among normal and underweight students. Cooking skills were generally valued as important life skills by both genders, though cooking skills were seen to be more relevant for girls.Conclusions and ImplicationsSchool nutrition education in Hong Kong should be designed to appeal to boys as well as girls, and effective implementation of nutrition education programs should inculcate healthful eating habits and sound cooking skills and address the needs of students with reference to gender differences. A more diversified approach could be employed through formal and informal curricula, prioritizing cooking skills and food advertising literacy in the curriculum.     

Eating habits in relation to body fatness and gender in adolescents--results from the 'SWEDES' study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if eating habits among adolescents are related to body fatness and gender. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Obesity Unit, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden, 2001-2002. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and seventy-five girls and 199 boys, aged 16-17 years. METHOD: Questionnaires were used for dietary intake and meal frequency, BodPod for measuring body fatness (BF%). In all, 169 girls and 128 boys were classified as adequate reporters (AR) of energy intake, and were used in the dietary analyses. The whole sample was used in the meal frequency analyses. RESULTS: The correlation between reported energy intake and weight in the AR group was 0.23 (P<0.01) for girls and 0.36 for boys (P<0.001). The correlations were inverse or not significant in the whole sample. The following variables correlated significantly with a high BF% (r (s)=+/-0.2): a low intake of milk in both girls and boys, a high intake of fibre and alcohol and a low intake of sugar in girls and a low intake of breakfast cereals in boys. Those with regular breakfast habits had healthier food choices than others, but this was not related to BF%. Boys had more meals per day (4.9 vs 4.6, P=0.02), especially early in the morning and late at night, whereas girls reported a higher relative intake of light meals and fruit and a lower intake of milk than boys. CONCLUSIONS: A few associations between eating habits and body fatness were found, but without any obvious patterns. The true differences in eating habits between lean and overweight adolescents are probably very small.     

Association between sedentary behaviour and socioeconomic factors, diet and lifestyle among the Balearic Islands adolescents

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Many different factors influenced food habits and physical activity patterns of adolescents in a complex interactive way. The aim of this study was to assess association between sedentary behaviour and socioeconomic factors, diet and lifestyle among the Balearic Islands adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey (n = 1961; 12--17 years old) was carried out. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire for adolescents (IPAQ-A). Sedentary behaviour was defined as <300 min/week of moderate and vigorous physical activity. Anthropometric measurements, body image, socio-economic and lifestyle determinants, food consumption, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet were assessed. RESULTS: The prevalence of sedentary behaviour was 37.1% (22.0% boys, 50.8% girls). Active boys consumed frequently breakfast cereals and fresh fruit; active girls yogurt, cheese, breakfast cereals, and fresh fruit; and sedentary girls high fat foods and soft drinks. Sedentary behaviour of girls was directly associated to age, and time spent on media screen and homework, and inversely related to adherence to Mediterranean diet, and body composition. Sedentary behaviour of boys was inversely related to adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and the desire to remain the same weight. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of sedentary behaviour among Balearic Islands adolescents is high, mainly among girls. Age, sex, parental educational and profession levels, body size dissatisfaction, and poor quality diet are important factors of physical activity practice among adolescents.     

Prevalence and correlates of binge eating in white and African American adolescents

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of binge eating in a biracial sample of adolescent males and females. METHOD: White and African American students in Grades 6-12 (N=822) completed measures of social economic status (SES), body mass index (BMI), depression, current-ideal body image discrepancy, eating attitudes, dieting frequency, dietary intake, and activity level. RESULTS: Binge eating prevalence was highest among African American boys relative to the other demographic groups: 26% African American boys, 17% African American girls, 19% white boys, 18% white girls. Binge eating rates increased with age for white participants and decreased with age for African American participants. Depressive symptoms and consumption of high-fat foods predicted binge status among adolescents, whereas SES, BMI, eating attitudes, body image discrepancy, dieting, and low activity level failed to add predictive value. DISCUSSION: The observation of developmental differences in binging between whites and African Americans corresponds to their physical maturational divergence. These findings underscore the need for population-based surveys that sample binge eating across age, gender, and ethnicity.     

Eating habits and total and abdominal fat in Spanish adolescents: influence of physical activity. The AVENA study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between specific dietary habits and body fatness in Spanish adolescents, and to analyze the role of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in this association.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 1,978 adolescents (1,017 girls) aged 13.0–18.5 years from the AVENA (Alimentación y Valoración del Estado Nutricional en Adolescentes) study were included. Particular dietary habits (breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and nighttime snack, as well as time spent eating, number of meals, consumption of soft drinks, and ready-to-eat foods) and LTPA were self-reported and analyzed as dichotomic variables (yes/no). The sum of six skinfold thicknesses and waist circumference (WC) values were the main body fatness variables.ResultSkinfolds and WC values were lower in adolescents who reported consumption of mid-morning snack, afternoon snack, more than four meals per day, and an adequate speed of eating, independently of participation in LTPA. Moreover, a beneficial influence of breakfast consumption on skinfolds and WC values was observed in those adolescent boys who did not participate in LTPA (p for interactions = .044 and .040, respectively).ConclusionsIn Spanish adolescents, certain healthy dietary habits (i.e., mid-morning snack, afternoon snack, > 4 meals per day, adequate eating speed) are associated with lower body fatness, independently of engaging in LTPA. In addition, among boys with non-LTPA, those who skipped breakfast showed the highest body fatness values, indicating a beneficial influence of daily breakfast on body fat in this particular group.     

广东省2002-2012年6~17岁儿童青少年超重/肥胖变化趋势分析

目的 分析2002-2012年广东省6～17岁儿童青少年超重/肥胖的流行状况及其变化趋势。方法 2002年营养调查采用多阶段分层与整群随机抽样方法,在全省抽取13个监测点共7 075名6～17岁儿童青少年进行调查。2009-2012年的广东省居民营养调查采用多阶段分层整群随机抽样的方法,在广东省9区/县城乡调查点抽取2 319名6～17岁儿童青少年,进行身高和体重测量。结果 2009-2012年广东省6～17岁儿童青少年平均超重率和肥胖率分别为7.3%和4.5%,男生超重率和肥胖率（8.9%和6.5%）均高于女生（5.3%和2.2%）,城市超重率和肥胖率（9.3%和5.6%）均高于农村（4.7%和3.2%）;以9～11岁组超重率（8.8%）和肥胖率（6.0%）最高。与2002年比较,除城市女生肥胖率下降外,城市男生、农村男生和女生的超重率和肥胖率均明显上升,其中农村超重和肥胖增幅高于城市,男生增幅高于女生。结论 广东省6～17岁儿童青少年超重和肥胖率较2002年有较大上升,其中农村、男生和9～11岁超重/肥胖比例较高,应重点关注。     

Characteristics of Eating Habits and Physical Activity in Relation to Body Mass Index Among Adolescents

Objective: To assess eating habits and the level of physical activity in adolescents and develop a predictive model for the body mass index (BMI) based on these variables.

Design: In this cross-sectional study, eating habits and the level of physical activity were assessed using a questionnaire validated in adolescents. Body mass and height collected during the last annual checkup were extracted from personal medical records.

Subjects: The sample included 330 boys and 377 girls (mean age 15.8 ± 0.2 years) who were first-year high school students in the city of Belgrade, Serbia.

Measures: Responses to each of the 14 questions about eating habits and 6 questions about physical activity were scored from the least (0) to the most (3) desired behaviors. These ratings were then averaged to arrive to an aggregate score for each domain. The BMI was calculated according to the standard method. A series of regression analyses was performed to derive the best model for predicting BMI in boys and girls based on individual eating habits and physical activity items, first separately and then combined.

Results: In the sample, 24.5% of boys and 9.5% of girls were overweight or obese. Girls’ eating habits were better than boys (mean aggregate score 2.3 ± 0.3 and 2.1 ± 0.3, respectively, p < 0.001), whereas the level of physical activity was greater in boys than girls (2.1 ± 0.6 vs 1.9 ± 0.6, p < 0.001). The differences between boys and girls in the BMI, eating habits, and physical activity remained significant after controlling for their knowledge about healthy eating and education level of their parents. Eating habits were a better predictor of BMI than physical activity, particularly in boys (R ² = 0.13 vs R ² = 0.02) compared to girls (R ² = 0.04 vs R ² = 0.01). Combining eating habits and physical activity in the multivariate model of BMI resulted in a better predictive accuracy in boys (R ² = 0.17) but not girls (R ² = 0.04).

Conclusions: Eating habits and physical activity differ between adolescent boys and girls and can predict BMI, particularly in boys. The results suggest the need to develop gender-specific programs for promoting healthy lifestyle among adolescents in our country.     

Understanding the correlates of adolescents' dietary intake patterns. A multivariate analysis

We investigated dietary intake patterns (DIP) in adolescents (14-18 year-olds) and the association with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and lifestyle variables. This school-based survey was carried out among high school students from the city of Maringá in the state of Paraná (PR), Brazil (2007). The sample included 991 students (54.5% girls) from high schools. DIPs were investigated by the frequency of weekly consumption of each food group: vegetables, fruit, rice, beans, fried food, sweet food, milk, soda, meat, eggs, alcoholic drinks. Independent variables were: demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and lifestyle variables. DIPs were identified using principal component analysis with orthogonal rotation (varimax). Three components were extracted. Component 1 (fried foods, sweets and soft drinks) was positively associated with not having breakfast for girls and dinner for boys. Moreover, component 2 (consumption of fruit and vegetables) was positively associated with having breakfast at home for boys and number of meals for girls. Component 3 (beans, eggs and meat) was positively associated with having lunch, employment and sedentary behavior level for girls. However, it was negatively associated with having lunch and dinner for boys. Adolescents who have healthier eating patterns also had other healthier behaviors regardless of gender. However, factors associated with dietary patterns differ between boys and girls.     

Prevalence and Factors Associated With High Body Fat in Adolescents from a Region of Brazil

The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and factors associated with high body fat in adolescents. A cross-sectional study conducted with 601 students from both sexes aged 14-17 years who live in Midwestern state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Body adiposity was assessed by the sum of subscapular and triceps skinfolds. Sociodemographic variables such as lifestyle, aerobic fitness and nutritional status were assessed. For data analysis, Poisson regression multivariable was used. The prevalence of high body fat was 51.2% for girls and 31.2% for boys. Higher prevalences of high body fat were observed for girls aged 16-17 years (PR: 1.15, CI 95%: 1.07-1.24) and overweight (PR: 1.36, CI 95%: 1.27-1.44) and for boys with high socioeconomic level (PR: 1.21, CI 95%: 1.09-1.34), inadequate eating habits (PR: 1.11, CI 95%: 1.02-1.21), physically inactive (PR: 1.10, CI 95%: 1.02-1.19) and overweight (PR: 1.46, CI 95%: 1.35-1.57). The prevalence of high body fat was high and factors associated with this outcome are different for each sex; thus, interventions for prevention and control of obesity should be different for girls and boys.     

Nutrition-related habits of Greek adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To investigate nutrition-related habits of Greek school-aged adolescents. DESIGN: Epidemiological survey. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: The study was part of the Health Behavior in School Aged Children (HBSC) survey. A representative sample of school-aged adolescents aged 11.5, 13.5, and 15.5 y was obtained. The final sample consisted of 4211 students (51.6% girls and 48.4% boys). They were asked to complete a translated form of the international HBSC questionnaire, including several thematic entities. The Unhealthy Food Choices Score (UFCS) was devised in order to evaluate the overall quality of reported eating habits of respondents; the higher the score, the lower the diet quality. RESULTS: Among all students surveyed, 14.7% were reported to be on a diet to lose weight (girls: 19.5%; boys: 9.7%; P<0.001), and 22.9% were dissatisfied with their body weight but not on a diet. Girls were found to have lower UFCS values compared to boys (24.7 +/- 4.6 vs 24.1 +/- 4.5, P<0.001). Girls dissatisfied with their weight, but not on a diet, showed the highest UFCS values compared to both those on a diet and those not on a diet. TV viewing was positively associated with the consumption of sodas, crisps, cakes and pastries, and sweets and chocolates. CONCLUSIONS: Dieting is becoming a major problem, especially among older girls. The findings of this study suggest that eating habits of Greek school-aged adolescents are in the process of changing from more traditional to more Westernized ones.     

Adolescents' Level of Eating Psychopathology Is Related to Perceptions of Their Parents' Current Feeding Practices

PurposeThis study aimed to examine the relationships between adolescents' eating disorder attitudes and their perceptions of the feeding practices that their parents/caregivers currently use.MethodsBoys and girls (N = 528) aged 13–15 completed self-report measures of their levels of eating psychopathology and their parents' current feeding practices and reported their own height and weight.ResultsFor girls, greater perceived pressure from parents to eat food and lower perceived parental responsibility for food were significantly related to more unhealthy eating-related attitudes. Similar to girls, lower perceived parental responsibility for food was significantly related to greater levels of eating psychopathology in boys. Greater perceived parental restriction of foods was also significantly related to greater eating psychopathology in boys.ConclusionsThese results suggest that adolescents' perceptions of their parents' use of more controlling feeding practices are related to greater prevalence of unhealthy eating-related attitudes. Such findings have potentially important implications for the prevention of disordered eating in adolescents.     

Factors associated with obesity among adolescents]

INTRODUCTION: Obesity during adolescence is considered a strong predictor of adult obesity. The present study assessed the overweight/obesity prevalence and associated factors in middle class adolescents of a school in the city of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and evaluated the correlation between body mass index with anthropometric measures of fatness. METHOD: The analysis covered 391 students aged from 15 to 17 years. Adolescents had their weight, height, skinfold thickness and upper arm circumference measured at school. A food frequency questionnaire (list of 79 items) and a questionnaire including food habits, parents anthropometric characteristics, physical activity and other factors associated with obesity were filled out by the adolescents at school. RESULTS: The proportion of overweight individuals among boys (Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than the 90th percentile of the Brazilian population) was 23.9%, whereas the prevalence among girls was 7.2%. The fact of being on a slimming diet was a relevant factor for the prediction of BMI and was 7 times more frequent among girls than among boys. Among boys, being on a diet, absence of breakfast, and family body appearance were positively associated with BMI. Among girls these variables were also significantly associated, whereas age at menarche was negatively associated with BMI. Hours of watching TV/video/video-game was associated with BMI only among boys. The correlation coefficient between BMI and measures of fatness varied from 0.7 to 0.9 for boys, and from 0.8 to 0.90 for girls. CONCLUSIONS: BMI appears to be a good indicator of obesity among adolescents and showed that girls demonstrated an exaggerated preoccupation with body image and stereotyped slim body patterns.     

Eating habits reported by secondary school students in a city of west Turkey

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of obesity and underweight has increased in recent years due to the fact that eating and drinking habits have changed all over the world. This survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of both obesity and underweight, as well as to understand the eating and drinking habits of a group of Turkish students. METHODS: 1044 students completed the survey. Responses were analyzed, using Chi-square (chi2) test and percent (%) ratios, according to gender. Differences were considered significant for p<0.05. RESULTS: About 10% of the students (123/1044, 11.8%) were underweight, most of them were male. Most students (868/1044, 83.1%) were of the correct weight. A small percentage of the students (52/1044, 4.9%) were overweight, with just one obese student, boy. Compared to boys, girls significantly obtained higher scores when questioned on preference of bran bread (62.0% vs. 38.0%, respectively), taking pains to not gain excess weight in order not to get fat (55.6% vs. 44.4%, respectively), doing physical exercise if they felt they were gaining too much weight (54.85% vs. 45.2%, respectively), and reducing food consumption when they felt that they were gaining weight (55.0% vs. 45.0%, respectively). CONCLUSION: For most people the importance of diet was obvious. This was especially reflected in the females' reports, since they reported a continual increase in their dieting and exercise behavior in an attempt to attain the contemporary ideal of being thin and physically fit.     

The contribution of psychosocial and home environmental factors in explaining eating behaviours in adolescents

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at investigating the influence of food availability, rules and television viewing habits on eating behaviours in adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Four randomly selected middle schools. SUBJECTS: A sample of 534 seventh and eighth graders. INTERVENTIONS: Validated questionnaires were used to measure the family environment and fat, soft drink and fruit consumption. Hierarchical regression analyses on fat, soft drink and fruit consumption, with demographic and psychosocial variables entered as the first and environmental factors as the second block were conducted in boys and girls. RESULTS: Boys with more unhealthy products available at home consumed more fat (P< or =0.001, 95% CI: 8.2-29.4) and more soft drinks (P< or =0.01, 95% CI: 0.2-1.4). Boys who reported better television viewing habits ate more fruit (P< or =0.001, 95% CI: -1.7 to -0.5). Girls who reported better television viewing habits consumed less fat (P< or =0.01, 95% CI: 1.4-9.0) and more fruit (P< or =0.05, 95% CI: -1.0 to -0.1). Girls who reported higher availability of healthy products at home (P< or =0.05, 95% CI: 0.3-3.1) and more food rules (P< or =0.001, 95% CI: -1.8 to -0.5), consumed more fruit. Environmental factors were poor predictors of soft drink consumption among girls. CONCLUSION: Availability of (un)healthy food products, family food rules and TV viewing habits were related to one or more eating behaviours in boys or girls. Although home environmental factors can play an important role in influencing adolescents' eating behaviours, these factors were generally less predictive than demographic and psychosocial variables.     

Relationship between Eating Behavior, Breakfast Consumption, and Obesity Among Finnish and Greek Adolescents

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between eating-related behaviors, particularly breakfast consumption, and weight status in Finnish and Greek adolescents.MethodsA total of 6,468 16-year-old Finnish adolescents and 2,842 17- and 18-year-old Greek adolescents, based on the latest follow-up of 2 population-based cohorts, were studied. Univariate analysis examined the associations between breakfast consumption, family meals, emotional eating, bingeing, and weight status in both populations. Multiple logistic regression models focused on the relationship between breakfast consumption and overweight/obesity taking potential confounders into account.ResultsDaily breakfast consumption was associated with lower levels of overweight/obesity among Finnish and Greek boys, but not among girls. Adjusting for confounders did not change the result among Greek boys, but adjustment for father's body mass index, weight control, and fear of getting fat attenuated the association among Finnish boys.Conclusions and ImplicationsThis study highlights the importance of breakfast consumption, particularly among male adolescents, in obesity prevention programs.     

Prevalence of Adolescents' Self-Weighing Behaviors and Associations With Weight-Related Behaviors and Psychological Well-Being

PurposeTo examine the relationships between self-weighing frequency, and weight-related behaviors and psychological well-being in a population-based sample of adolescents.MethodsThis study compared weight-related behaviors between infrequent and frequent self-weighers, stratified by weight status and gender. Data were from Project EAT 2010 (Eating and Activity in Teens), a population-based study of 2,778 adolescents.ResultsApproximately 14% of girls and boys weighed themselves frequently (weekly or more). In comparison to girls who were infrequent self-weighers, girls who were frequent self-weighers were more likely to diet, engage in unhealthy and extreme weight control behaviors, use unhealthy muscle-enhancing behaviors, and have lower self-esteem and greater body dissatisfaction. In comparison to boys who were infrequent self-weighers, boys who were frequent self-weighers were more likely to diet, engage in unhealthy and extreme weight control behaviors, use unhealthy muscle-enhancing behaviors, and report greater depressive symptoms. Among overweight adolescents, in addition to being associated with these harmful outcomes, frequent self-weighing was associated with the use of healthy weight control behaviors and with higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous activity.ConclusionsFindings indicate that adolescents who frequently self-weigh themselves are at increased risk for a number of problematic health behaviors and poorer psychological outcomes. For overweight adolescents, frequent self-weighing was additionally associated with a number of positive outcomes. Based upon these findings, any recommendations for weight monitoring should be made cautiously; all adolescents, including overweight adolescents, should be advised not to engage in frequent self-weighing behaviors. Furthermore, any adolescents engaging in frequent self-weighing behaviors should be monitored for problematic outcomes.     

中日两国幼儿肥胖及其影响因素调查

目的为了调查中日两国幼儿肥胖发病情况及影响因素.方法 对中国上海市和日本立川市的3～4岁各1000余名幼儿测定身高和体重,并进行了肥胖及其影响因素的调查.结果 中国上海市幼儿超重率和肥胖率分别为11 .7%和4.3%,已接近于日本立川市的幼儿超重率(14.6%)和肥胖率(5.0%).幼儿出生体重过重喜食肉类和乳制品、就餐时间无规律、活动过少等因素会增加肥胖程度;双亲肥胖家庭的幼儿容易发生肥胖.结论 幼儿肥胖受到遗传和环境因素的双重影响,中国上海市幼儿肥胖已成为一个值得重视的卫生问题.     

Food consumption and eating behavior among Brazilian adolescents: National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE), 2009

The objective of this article is to describe the characteristics of food consumption and eating behavior of adolescents and its association with socio-demographic factors. In 2009, a random sample of students in 9th grade of elementary education at public and private schools from 26 Brazilian state capitals and Federal District was studied. It was applied a self-administered questionnaire with socio-demographic attributes, food consumption and eating behavior, among others. Estimates of the constructed indicators were presented for the total population and by sex. The association of each indicator with socio-demographic variables was examined by logistic regression. The results showed that over half of adolescents presented frequent consumption of beans (62.6%), milk (53.6%) and sweets (50.9%), and held at least lunch or dinner with the mother or responsible (62.6%) and watching television or studying (50.9%). In general, girls were more exposed to undesirable eating habits and higher socioeconomic status was associated with a higher prevalence of the indicators studied. The results revealed regular consumption of unhealthy diet markers and consumption of less than the recommended for a healthy diet, pointing the need for strengthening health promotion activities targeting young people.     

Eating habits,lifestyle factors,and body weight status among Turkish private educational institution students

ObjectiveThe purposes of this study were to assess the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity and to evaluate the effects of eating habits, lifestyle, and sociodemographic characteristics on students' weight.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out from February to May 2008 in the city of Eskisehir, western Turkey. A total of 2258 students 15–20 y of age (1137 boys and 1121 girls) were examined. The questionnaires, including items related to eating habits, lifestyle, and sociodemographic characteristics, were completed by the students. The data were evaluated using chi-square test and percent ratios. In addition, Student's t test for means and reliability analysis was employed to test the reliability of the questionnaire scale. Differences were considered statistically significant at P < 0.05.ResultsAbout 70% of the students (69.9%) were of normal weight; more than one-fourth (25.7%) were underweight; and 4.4% were overweight/obese students, with just 0.6% being obese (n = 14). According to 21 of the 29 items in the questionnaire found to be positively significant, girls had more accurate habits than boys (13 versus 7 items, respectively). Compared with those underweight or of normal weight, the proportion of those overweight/obese was smaller for those having milk or juice at breakfast (P < 0.05), special meals prepared at least once daily at home (P < 0.05), and not selecting fast food such as hamburgers at meals (P < 0.01).ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that the prevalence of overweight and obesity is much lower than the prevalence of underweight in Turkish school-based adolescents, important data that merit consideration. Health professionals, teachers, and family environment may play a key role in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.     

Physical development and lifestyle of Hong Kong secondary school students

BACKGROUND: Objectives of the present investigation were to study the growth and development of adolescents in Hong Kong, to analyze the interrelationship between their development and lifestyle, and to provide some helpful suggestions for lifestyle modification. METHODS: A total of 404 secondary students ages 12-18 years served as subjects. Morphological measures, blood pressure, blood lipids, aerobic fitness, and body composition were tested. A self-report questionnaire was administered to assess physical activity and dietary habits. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure increased with age, and a gender difference was noted. Body height and body weight increased with age. Total cholesterol showed a lowering trend with age, and high-density lipoprotein had a slight rise. The percentage body fat for boys decreased with age but increased for girls. The higher percentage of overweight and obesity was closely associated with physical inactivity and inappropriate food selection such as eating snacks or food rich in fat or cholesterol. Tailor-made physical activity and nutritional education programs should be designed for adolescents, especially girls during puberty.