Sedentary lifestyle in active children admitted to a summer sport school.

Aim of this study was to investigate the sedentary patterns of school-aged active children admitted to a summer sport school. One hundred-twelve children aged 9-11 years were interviewed through a questionnaire about sedentary behaviours and nutrition habits. Seventy-one per cent of children reported they watch TV seven days a week, girls less than boys (84 +/- 45 minutes vs. 110 +/- 75 minutes) (t = 2.056; p = 0.042). The habit of TV viewing during meals was widespread (38% breakfast, 31% lunch, 62% dinner, 18% every meal). The prevalence of overweight or obesity (58.5%) was significantly higher among boys watching TV at dinner compared to the boys viewing TV only in the afternoon (35%) (chi2 = 4.976; p = 0.026). Fifty-seven per cent of children (65% boys) were accustomed to nibble snacks during TV viewing, and this habit was widespread in overweight or obese boys (chi2 = 4.546; p = 0.033). The dietary patterns of children watching TV include more snack foods and fewer fruits than the dietary patterns of the same children exercising (chi2 = 4.199 p = 0.040). Also in active children the habit to watch television is widespread and, in spite of the tendency to physical activity, 46% of them were overweight or obese; in fact the time spent looking at a TV may be associated to overweight/obesity and this relationship could be explained by the amount of high-density foods consumption during inactivity. Playing video games, read a book and listening to music are sedentary lifestyle patterns but these seem not to represent a risk factor for an increased BMI.

Haemolysis during diabetic ketoacidosis treatment in two girls with incomplete glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a typical X-linked enzymopathy causing severe haemolytic anaemia in males, and mild to moderate anaemia in homozygous females. Haemolysis due to G6PD deficiency in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has been principally reported in males, but is uncommon. During the last 10 years 2 girls with an unknown incomplete G-6-PD deficiency showed haemolysis during the treatment of DKA at the onset of T1DM. We speculate that the patients here described showed haemolytic anaemia as a phenotypic expression of the lyonization process and/or an uncommon penetrance of the defective gene. Haemolysis occurred when blood glucose levels were returning to normal values. In normal red blood cells, G6PD provides a source of reducing power for maintaining sulphydryl groups (SH) and facilitating the detoxification of free radicals and peroxides. During insulin i.v. infusion the copious glucose available due to the hyperglycaemia progressively decreased and affected the old red blood cells to generate nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH), a crucial source for energy-dependent functions. This NADPH loss could have enhanced the rate of all factors such as methaemoglobin generation, Heinz body formation, and lipid peroxidation, which occur in G6PD deficient cells in response to both endogenous and exogenous oxidants. The direct consequence of this phenomenon is an increased erytrocyte oxidant sensitivity and a loss of sulphydryl group availability causing premature red blood cell destruction.

Breakfast habits of 1,202 northern Italian children admitted to a summer sport school. Breakfast skipping is associated with overweight and obesity.

Very little is known about the differences in breakfast of children performing physical activity in the morning. This paper analyzed the breakfast habits of 747 boys and 455 girls, distributed in 2 homogeneous age groups, 6-10 and 11-14 year-old, participating in a Summer Sport School. Children were asked whether, when, where, how and with whom they consumed breakfast; who prepared meals; what they ate and drank; what they did during breakfast. Weight, height and BMI were recorded. Seventy-eight percent of children usually had breakfast, but 22% reported skipping breakfast. In the non-breakfast consumer subjects, 27.5% were overweight and 9.6% obese vs 9.1 and 4.5% respectively in breakfast eaters. Bakery products (76%) and milk (71%) were the most frequently consumed foods. Only 15% of parents encouraged their children to consume additional foods at breakfast before exercising, and 42% of children believed that this extra nutrition was unnecessary. In 80% of cases, the chief decision-maker for breakfast was the mother, the father played little part (1%). During breakfast, 48% of children ate and drank in silence, 26% played with brothers and sisters, 18% watched television and only 8% talked with parents. A high prevalence of over-weight and obesity was found among non-breakfast consumer children. Breakfast omission in children exercising conflicts with their increased energy requirements and may be connected to the trend of parents and children to under-estimate the importance of breakfast for nutritional balance and for environment promotion of physical performance.

Adherence to physical activity in young people with type 1 diabetes.

Regular physical activity plays a key role in the management of children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus but it is not considered as a treatment for diabetes. Aim of this study was to investigate time spent exercising, adherence to the programme for a safe exercise and ability of young people with diabetes to take appropriate measures to reduce potential risks. Ninety one Type 1 diabetes mellitus young people (aged from 10 to 18 years, duration of diabetes longer than 6 months) without associated chronic diseases were randomly enrolled in the study. Age, sex, weight, height, BMI, duration of disease, mean HbA1c value over preceding 6 months have been collected. The time weekly spent for physical activity, the type of exercise usually performed, the measures taken to reduce exercise risks have been collected by a structured questionnaire. BMI was 21.6+/-3.05 in the boys and 21.3+/-3.63 in the girls. All patients spent exercising 438+/-221 minutes/week. Boys exercised 71 minutes longer than girls in competitive sports. Children exercising less than 60 minutes weekly showed a mean HbA1c level (8,9+/-05%) higher than that found in children exercising 120-360 minutes (8,3+/-0.4 %; p=0.002) or 360-480 minutes (8,0+/-0.6 %; p< 0.01) weekly. Children attending a competitive sport (at least 360 min per week) had a better glycemic control (HbA1c=7,39+/-0.6 %; p=0.03) than other active peers. Fifty percent of patients reported to monitor blood glucose levels during exercise; 32 % changed insulin dose according to blood glucose levels; 60 % usually added carbohydrate-based foods before (35%), during (15%) or after (10%) exercise. Hypoglycemic episodes (37.7%) were reported more frequently than hyperglycemic ones (p=0.024), but only twelve percent of them were symptomatic and appeared 30 minutes to 2 hours after the end of exercise. These results must encourage health care professionals to review regularly the ability of their patients in managing physical activity and to check their adherence to the program for a safe exercise.