Body mass index, waist circumference and skin-fold thickness in 12- to 14-year-old Dutch adolescents: differences between 2003 and 2011

Weight Loss and Improvement of Metabolic Alterations in Overweight and Obese Children Through the I2AO2 Family Program: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Childhood obesity is a major public health concern. We wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary program based on healthy eating, exercise, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and health education to achieve weight loss and improve metabolic parameters in overweight and obese children. A randomized, controlled clinical trial with long-term follow-up (24 months) was conducted at a community care center in overweight and obese individuals aged 6-12 years. A sample of 108 children was divided into an experimental and a control group receiving a standard care program. The experimental groups received a 12-month interdisciplinary program; the results were evaluated at 4 months, the end of the intervention, and at follow-up 12 months later. Anthropometric and biological marker measurements related to metabolic alterations, dyslipidemia (based on total cholesterol), hyperglycemia, fasting glycaemia, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in blood were recorded. The intervention had a significant effect (p < 0.001) in terms of decreased body mass index, skinfolds, and waist and arm circumferences. These changes were accompanied by biochemical changes underlying an improvement in metabolic parameters, such as a significant reduction in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, and hyperglycemia and a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. These effects were still significant for markers of excess weight or obesity in the experimental group 12 months after the end of the intervention, suggesting that an enduring change in healthy lifestyles had been maintained period. This interdisciplinary, nurse-led program helped to reduce childhood and adolescent excess weight and obesity and had long-lasting effects.

Cross-sectional and prospective impact of reallocating sedentary time to physical activity on children's body composition

BACKGROUND

The amount of time children spend in sedentary behaviours may have adverse health effects.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the substitution effects of displacing a fixed duration of sedentary time with physical activity (PA) on children's body composition.

METHODS

We included 386 children (197 boys). Outcomes were body mass index, waist circumference, total body fat mass and trunk fat mass assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Sedentary time and PA were measured with accelerometers. Data were analysed by isotemporal analyses estimating the effect of reallocating 15 and 30 min d^-1 of sedentary time into light (light physical activity), and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) PA on body composition.

RESULTS

Reallocating 15 and 30 min d^-1 of sedentary time into MVPA was negatively associated with body fatness in cross-sectional analyses. Prospectively, reallocating 30 min of sedentary time into 30 min of MVPA was negatively associated with waist circumference (β = -1.11, p < 0.05), trunk fat mass (β = -0.21, p < 0.05), and total body fat mass (β = -0.48, p < 0.05) at follow-up (20 months). The magnitude of associations was half in magnitude and remained significant (p < 0.05) when reallocating 15 min of sedentary time into MVPA. Reallocating sedentary time into light physical activity was not related (p > 0.05) with body fatness outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Substituting sedentary time with MVPA using isotemporal analysis is associated with positive effects on body composition.

Temporal Trends in Overweight and Obesity, Physical Activity and Screen Time among Czech Adolescents from 2002 to 2014: A National Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study

This study examines trends in overweight and obesity, physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) among Czech adolescents over a recent 12-year study period. Nationally representative samples consisted of 19,940 adolescents (9760 boys and 10,180 girls) aged 10.5-16.5 years from the Czech Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire-based surveys conducted in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Trends in the prevalence of overweight/obesity, meeting the recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (≥60 min per day of MVPA) and excessive ST (>2 h per day) were estimated using logistic regression. Significant increases (p < 0.001) in the prevalence of overweight/obesity between the years 2002 and 2014 were evident for both adolescent boys (18.3%(2002)-24.8%(2014)) and girls (8.3%(2002)-11.9%(2014)). Compared to 2002, in 2014 significant decreases (p < 0.001) in meeting MVPA recommendations were observed among boys (32.2%(2002)-25.6%(2014)) and girls (23.2%(2002)-19.2%(2014)). Moreover, in boys we observed significant increases (p < 0.001) in excessive ST on weekdays (75.1%(2002)-88.8%(2014)), as well as on weekends (78.3%(2002)-91.9%(2014)) between the years 2002 and 2014. Increases in overweight/obesity with concomitant decreases in PA provide evidence in support of the current and upcoming efforts of government and commercial organizations in implementing interventions aimed at reducing excessive body weight among Czech adolescents.