Energy expenditure reduction and overweight in adolescents

Abstract

The contemporary energy expenditure reduction is an important factor in the recent obesity epidemic observed in urban centers. In adolescents this change is more intense when it is associated with passive leisure activities, such as watching television, playing electronic games, playing and using Internet. The objective of this paper was to analyze the lack of physical activity and the influence of television in relation to the adolescents' feeding practices, aspects that can lead to overweight and obesity. This study included 155 individuals with a median age of 11.5 ± 1.43 years. The diagnoses of overweight and obesity were based on the body mass index for adolescents. Statistically significant correlations were observed between overweight/obesity and passive physical activities, as well as between overweight/obesity and the activity of eating while watching television, for both sexes. These findings showed that the physical inactivity, in conjunction with an increase in the energetic food consumption while watching television or due to the influence of television food commercials, represents a major factor in weight increasing during adolescence.