[Prevalence of obesity in school children in Ivory Coast]. / Prévalence de l'obésité en milieu scolaire en Côte d'Ivoire.

BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization, an increased prevalence of hypertension in children is observed since several years due to an epidemic of childhood obesity. What is the extent of this epidemic in our African context? METHOD: We conducted a prospective descriptive study of pupils encountered in primary and secondary schools of the district of Abidjan from May 3 to June 1st 2010. A sample of 2038 pupils aged 6 to 18 years was randomly selected. Overweight in pupils was assessed by body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: There were 1182 girls (58%) and 856 boys (42%) whose average age was 12.7±3.6 years. The average weight was 42.6kg±16 (range 14.6 to 106.2kg), the average size was 1.48m±0.19 (range 1 to 1.95m). BMI was 17.2kg/m(2)±3.7 (range 14.6-35.7). The prevalence of obesity was of 5%. In addition, 4% of the students were overweight, 39% extremely thin, 25% thin and 27% normal. Obesity was more common in girls (6.8%) than boys (1.8%). The prevalence of obesity in hypertensives was 16%. BMI influenced the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both sexes (P<0.001 in both cases). CONCLUSION: Childhood obesity exists in a country like the Ivory Coast where wealthness is far from generalized. A well-organized management of childhood obesity is necessary to avoid complications such as hypertension.

Sulfur amino acid requirement of channel catfish: L-methionine and L-cystine.

Growth studies, utilizing a 24% crude protein diet containing an amino acid pattern similar to whole egg protein, indicate that the methionine requirement in the absence of cystine for fingerling channel catfish (Ictalurus punctalus) is about 0.56% of the diet (dry weight basis) or 2.34% of the dietary protein. The dietary requirement was confirmed by serum free methionine analysis. A marked increase in serum free methionine occurred at a dietary methionine level between 0.50% and 0.75% of the diet. The cystine replacement value for methionine on a mmole sulfur basis was found to be about 60%.

Effect of dietary pH on amino acid utilization and the lysine requirement of fingerling channel catfish.

The pH of amino acid test diets has been shown to be of major importance in dietary amino acid studies in the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Maximum growth rate and feed conversion was observed when the test diet was adjusted to pH 7. Growth studies, utilizing a 24% crude protein diet containing an amino acid pattern similar to whole egg protein, indicate that the lysine requirement for fingerling channel catfish is about 1.23% of the diet (dry weight basis) or 5.1% of the dietary protein. The dietary requirement was confirmed by serum free lysine analysis. A marked increase in serum free lysine occurred at a dietary lysine level of approximately 1.2% of the diet.