Food habits,physical activity and overweight among adolescents

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity prevalence is increasing worldwide. Not only adults but also children and adolescents are involved. There are no recent data from French West Indies, where situation is believed to be worrying. Hence, the objective of the study was to provide information on the situation of adolescents, describing their nutritional status, food consumption and physical activity habits. METHODS: A sample of adolescents of both sexes, 14 to 15 years of age, was drawn among the 45 secondary schools of the Island. Of 993 adolescents drawn, 715 participated in the study which consisted in a questionnaire on their food and physical activity habits and anthropometric measurements. RESULTS: As a whole these adolescents displayed a greater growth rate than the WHO reference population. About 20% presented a body mass index (BMI) over the chosen thresholds for overweight and obesity. They were slightly more mature than the French Continental children (i. e. girls experienced menarche at 11.9 +/- 1.0 years of age versus 13 years in Metropolitan France). Their food habits were similar in structure and composition, to those of westernised countries, while retaining some features of the "Creole culture". Foods rich in animal fats and carbohydrates were prevailing. Girls ate less dairy products than boys (53% of the adolescent girls drank milk during breakfast against 64% of the boys). Almost every boy had a sport activity out of school, but girls were less often enrolled in sports. Sport activity decreased with age. There were no clear differences in physical activity levels between adolescents with high BMI or low BMI. CONCLUSIONS: There is an excess of overweight and obesity in this adolescent population. These conditions may have appeared soon during childhood and be hardly modified latter. Physical activity level would have a stronger impact on fatness during childhood than at adolescence. Hence, a special attention should be brought early to the nutritional status, food and physical activity habits of young children, given the risks to develop degenerative diseases when adults.