Physical Activity, Sleep Patterns and Diet Habits as Well as the Prevalence of Obesity among Adolescents: A Cross Sectional Study from Ha'il City in Saudi Arabia.

Obesity is expected to increase in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the physical activity, sleep patterns and diet habits as well as the prevalence of obesity among adolescents from Ha'il City. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1598 adolescent students (663 males and 935 females) aged 12−15 years who were randomly selected from different schools in Ha'il. Body mass index (BMI) was used to classify participants as underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese (class and class II). Moreover, physical activity, sleep patterns and diet habits were recorded. The prevalence of obesity was 52.1%. Obesity is significantly more prevalent in females compared to males (62.9% vs. 36.59%, p < 0.001). Moreover, students in the third grade are the most obese in comparison with the first and the second educational level (p < 0.001). Additionally, students aged 15 years old are the most obese compared to 12 years, 13 years and 14 years (p < 0.001). Additionally, the results showed that students who suffer from obesity eat food when they feel higher stress and tension scores and that they do not eat their meals regularly. Additionally, 79% of those who eat fried food daily are obese. It was reported that 61.1% of students in this study were physically inactive. Furthermore, 58.4% of students have a higher proportion of insufficient sleeping duration (>7 h per night) (p < 0.001). This increased rate of obesity is higher in females compared to males and it was related to inactivity as well as perturbed sleep and eating habits. Therefore, we recommend an obesity prevention program including health education in Ha'il City, KSA.

Effects of Different Low-Intensity Exercise Types on Duration, Energy Expenditure and Perceived Exertion in Obese Individuals.

Physical exercise is a common strategy in overweight and obesity management. Exercise type, intensity, duration, energy expenditure and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) are the essential determinants of exercise efficiency. The purpose of the present study was to compare continuous and intermittent exercises targeted at the maximal fat oxidation intensity (FAT max) in obese individuals. Ten obese males (BMI > 30 kg/m2; age: 19 to 35 years) who maintained a sedentary lifestyle were recruited for this study to perform three separate exhaustive exercises: a continuous exercise at FAT max (CON), an intermittent exercise that alternates two minutes at FAT max −10% with one minute at FAT max +20% (INT½), and a second intermittent exercise that alternates four minutes at FAT max −10% with one minute at FAT max +40% (INT»). The duration of the INT» exercise (65.1 min ± 13.4) was significantly longer than that of the CON exercise (55.4 min ± 6.0). No significant difference in the total amount of energy expenditure was observed across the three types of exercise (CON: 372 Kcal ± 98.2, INT»: 398 Kcal ± 145.5, INT½: 374.4 Kcal ± 116.1). The fat oxidation rate after 45 min during the INT exercises (INT»: 93.0 ± 19.1 mg/min, INT½: 71.1 ± 15.6 mg/min) was significantly higher than that of the CON exercise (36.1 ± 12.2 mg/min). The CON exercise was less well tolerated. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) at the end of the CON (15.8 ± 2) was significantly higher than that of the INT exercises (13.5 ± 2 for the INT» and 13.1 ± 1.8 for the INT½). The INT exercises were more efficient in terms of duration, fat oxidation and RPE.