[The reduction of the number of overweight students in a Rome school after two years]. / Riduzione del numero di ragazzi sovappeso: studio a distanza di due anni in una stessa scuola.

AIM: A study was conducted on children from a junior high school in Rome, Monteverde district, to observe data on hypertension and obesity. Data were compared with results from the study carried on two years ago in the same school by the same working group. METHODS: The study enrolled 336 students, 52% males and 48% females. Blood pressure was measured with Omron 2 automatic monitor, with child cuffs. Weight and height were measured with Seca scale with stadiometer. We assessed hypertension by means of recent Task Force Tables, overweight and obesity with the tables by Cole et al. RESULTS: A proportion of 5% of screened children presented hypertension, 13.9% overweight, 2.3% obesity. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of hypertension, overweight and obesity was lower than prevalence observed two years ago in the same school, thanks to a change in eating habits which included breakfast promotion, adoption of correct food choices for lunch and dinner, and most of all an increase in extracurricular sports activity, currently performed by 92% of students.

[Obesity and arterial hypertension in children: current calamity]. / Obesità ed ipertensione arteriosa in età pediatrica: flagello dei nostri giorni.

OBJECTIVES: A study was carried out on students of a middle school with a medium-high social level in a southern zone of Rome, to assess the current situation regarding obesity and arterial hypertension in subjects with a parental environment favouring correct eating habits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We considered 693 students, mean age 11.2 + 0.6. Hypertension was defined according to blood pressure (BP) tables for children and adolescents of the NIH - Fourth Report (systolic and diastolic BP >95th percentile for age and sex). Overweight and obesity were determined according to the International Obesity Task Force. Dietary habits and life-style were investigated by specific questionnaires. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was respectively 23.1% and 3.3% of the subjects studied. Moreover, 5.2% of them showed BP values between 90th and 95th percentile and 7.8% was hypertensive. Food habits of the current students were fairly correct, favouring the Mediterranean diet and with the proper number of daily meals. DISCUSSION: A justification for the high number of hypertensive could be due to the elevated consumption of salt added to food (60% of young people), the elevated frequency of those who often eat fast food (43%) and a family history of hypertension in the parents (24%). Only 24.5% of males and 22.9% of females used to practice physical activity; whereas 40% of males and 41% of females used to spend more than 3 hours a day in front of the TV and/or computer.