INTRODUCTION. Apart from genetic predispositions, environmental factors play huge role, including health behaviors and knowledge of healthy lifestyle in children and adolescents. The aim of the study was to estimate the frequency of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents from small towns and villages and tracing association between the knowledge and health behaviors in children and overweight risk
MATERIAL AND METHODS. The research was conducted in a group of 1515 healthy children aged 6-18 from small towns and villages. The questionnaires, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were done in all studied children.
RESULTS. Overweight was diagnosed when body mass index for on age sex identified surpassed 90th centile, and obesity - when it was above 95th centile. Overweight was diagnosed in 9.0%, and obesity in 5.1% of respondents. Excess body mass was statistically more frequently observed in girls then in boys aged 14-18. These girls substantially more frequently pointed at whole meal bread, smoked sausages, meat and poultry as products, which are necessary to keep fit. Older children more often pointed at stress, smoking cigarettes, consuming fatty meat, sweets and "being plump". Lack of physical activity is factor, which damage health. Boys spent more time in front of the computer or TV than girls - as the children grow the phenomenon intensified.
CONCLUSIONS. The knowledge of eating habits is not enough to maintain proper body weight. The girls have more knowledge of eating habits than boys, but overweight is more frequently observed in girls. In older group of children lower physical activity was observed as consequence of longer watching TV and using computer. Although children have eating habits knowledge there is a constant need for healthy life style education for children and adolescents.
Endocrinology, Obesity and Metabolic Disorders 2010, vol. 6, No 2, 59-66