The Dynamic of excess weight at puberty in adolescents and youths from urban areas

Abstract

This research was aimed at emphasizing the incidence of excess weight for the studied population segment as well as the degree to which lifestyle can influence its frequency. As a premise of this research, we consider that the practice of physical exercises during formal and non-formal activities can influence the frequency of excess weight in adolescents and youth at puberty from urban areas.
The data regarding the practice of physical exercises during physical education classes and leisure time activities was acquired after conducting a questionnaire-based study on 757 gymnasium students and 825 high school students from Braşov municipality. The results showed that 85% of the respondents are practicing formal physical activities while 65% are practicing leisure time activities.
In order to emphasize the excess weight dynamic for this population segment, we conducted specific measurements of height and weight in the same students.
The frequency of excess weight in boys shows a rising trend from 4-6% to 20-25% during puberty while during adolescence the increase is from 21% at 15 years to 31% at 18 years. For individuals with excess weight and obesity a significant reduction at the onset of adolescence could be observed, over 50% of all individuals showing a normal BMI, except for the 12 year old segment.
A similar trend could be observed in girls, the proportion of underweight girls rising significantly from 5.83% at 11 years to 25.93% at 18 years, while the proportion of excess weight girls decreases from 17.09 at 15 years to 14.82 at 18 years. By correlating the data regarding the practice of physical activities with the excess weight dynamic, it was found that the number of overweight and obese individuals is not decreasing although over 85% of all students were involved in physical activities.
The development of programmes for youths at puberty and adolescence, intended to raise awareness of both teachers and health specialists about the effects of unhealthy lifestyles on the growth and development processes, appears to be an imperative necessity.