Differences in dietary intake and activity level between normal-weight and overweight or obese adolescents

Background: To investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in an adolescent group representative of a rural Mediterranean area and to determine possible associations with energy and nutrient intakes and levels of physical exercise. Methods: A representative sample of adolescents was drawn from the secondary school of Torre Pacheco (Murcia), a rural Mediterranean area located in the southeast of Spain. The population selected (331 adolescents aged 14-18 years), was divided into two groups: normal-weight subjects with a body mass index less than 23 kg/m(2) and overweight or obese subjects with a body mass index of 23 kg/m(2) or more. Weight, height, abdominal acid hip perimeters, triceps skinfold, and upper arm circumference were measure. A prospective 7-consecutive-days food record and physical activity questionnaire were completed. Results: Overweight boys and girls had an apparently lower energy intake (P = 0.001 and P = 0.042, respectively), and carbohydrate intake (P = 0.000, P = 0.032) than their normal-weight counterparts, but they tended to underreport more often. Overweight boys derived a greater percentage of their energy from fat (P = 0.049) and less from carbohydrate (P = 0.016) than their normal-weight counterparts. Among girls, the per centage of energy derived from fat increased with body mass index (r = 0.210, P = 0.008), whereas fiber intake decreased (r = -0.145: P = 0.041), Overweight and obesity were negatively related to physical activity level only among boys (P = 0.033). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in the adolescent population studied (48.2% in boys and 30.7% in girls). The study shows an association between overweight and obesity and nutrient intake and activity level. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.