Overweight Study
Patterns of Overweight, Inactivity, and
Snacking in Chinese Children
Overweight Study - Aim
To examine patterns of inactivity and snacking and their relationship
with overweight status in Chinese children.
Overweight Study - Methods
The study population was drawn from the 1997 China Health National Survey
(1385 children, ages 6 to 11 years), conducted with a representative sample
from nine provinces. The 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
BMI charts were used to calculate "at risk of overweight" as
those above the 85th percentile. Three days of 24-hour recall dietary
data and detailed questions on physical activity and inactivity for the
previous 7 days were used.
Overweight Study - Results
9.4 percent of the children were classified as overweight. Weekly mean
and range of hours spent watching television/videos, playing video games,
studying, and in inactive transport were 5.1 (0 to 35), 0.3 (0 to 10),
4.7 (0 to 60), and 0.14 (0 to 4.2), respectively. Television/video viewing
and studying did not differ in any meaningful manner between overweight
and normal weight children. Snacking is inconsequential in China, comprising
only 0.9 percent of energy intake.
Overweight Study - Issues
Chinese children are less overweight, less inactive, and less likely to
ingest calories as snacks than children in the U.S. The absence of impact
of these measures of inactivity, which are below an hour per day for the
average Chinese child, indicate the possible value of limiting television
viewing and other types of inactivity in other countries. Modern Western-style
television programming and advertising started to come to China after
1997; therefore, extensive changes in television viewing patterns are
expected to emerge.
Source: Department of Psychology, Yale
University. 2003
Weight Loss Methods
The science of weight loss and obesity management is constantly evolving,
along with research into weight loss drugs, supplements and gastric bypass
surgery. At present, however, a balanced diet combined with regular exercise
remains the favored weight management strategy of most weight loss experts. Return to Weight Loss Data
|
|
|
com