Prevalence and Tracking of Weight Disorders in Italian Primary School Students: A Three-Year Follow-Up

Obesity has been widely described as the latest epidemic, and in some areas obesity co-exists with undernutrition. The purpose of this study was to assess the variability of weight status of a cohort of 279 Italian primary school students followed longitudinally for three years. Overweight was the most common weight status disorder in both sexes and generally prevailed in females. Underweight was also more frequent in females than males, while males generally showed a higher incidence of obesity. Overweight showed the highest stability in females. In males, tracking of overweight was 62.5%, while that of normal weight was 89.36%. Overweight tracks through the three consecutive years in a high percentage of both sexes. In the whole sample (regardless of sex and weight category), overweight shows the highest increase over the three-year period. This study provides public health professionals with useful data for policy planning in regard to childhood obesity

Growth and Secular Trend in School-Children from Cento, Ferrara, Italy

Growth parameters were surveyed in a sample of 296 Italian children, 6–9 years old, from Cento (Ferrara, Emilia- -Romagna). The comparison with children from the same town measured in 1974–75 show changes in some parameters, suggesting an ongoing secular trend. To better understand the observed weight increase and the sex difference, we also evaluated body composition and motricity. The analysis of the present sample is a preliminary part of a longitudinal study dealing with modifications of body composition and motor capacity induced by growth. In our sample the children are growing according to the Italian reference standard. The females present weight, height and Body Mass Index (BMI) values comparable to the 50th centile, while the males present higher values of weight, skinfold thicknesses and BMI. Sex differences in the motor performance were noted. A methodological comparison of obesity assessments based on BMI an percentage of body fat (%F) shows similar conclusions but somewhat different result

Traumatic Events and Life-Style in Ancient Italian Populations

Traumatic lesions are commonly found in archaeological skeletal samples and provide useful information about various behavioral and cultural aspects of the populations. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between the distribution and types of skeletal traumatic lesions and the different life-styles of past populations. We examined three necropolises in central Italy. Pozzilli (VI–IV century BC) and Quadrella (I–IV century AD) are from the same geographical area (Molise) but belong to different periods; Novilara (IX–VI century BC) is located in Marche but belongs to the Iron Age like Pozzilli. The lesions observed at Pozzilli seem not to be accidental, whereas the traumas observed at Quadrella can be attributed to occasional, unintentional events. Cranial injuries observed at Novilara strengthen the hypothesis that the population was composed, at least in part, of warriors. Our results suggest the presence of a relationship between skeletal traumatic lesions and life-styles of populations

Somatotype of Elite Italian Gymnasts

The somatotyping method is especially helpful in sports in which the body could directly influence the biomechanics of movements and the performance’s results. The purpose of this study was to determine the somatotype of elite Italian gymnasts and to compare it in terms of competition levels. The sample comprised 64 elite gymnasts (42 females (F), somatotype 1.4-4.4-3.2; and 22 males (M), somatotype 1.6-6.3-2.1) belonging to the Italian National Artistic Gymnastic Team (2007) at different competition levels: Allieve, Junior, and Senior. Mean whole somatotypes, by competition levels, were not significantly different in both sexes (Female gymnasts: Allieve, 1.3-4.6-3.3; Junior, 1.3-4.2-3.6; Senior, 1.7-4.2- 2.7; Male gymnasts: Junior, 1.5-6.3-2.5; Senior, 1.7-6.3-1.6). Male Junior gymnasts exhibited greater ectomorphy than Senior athletes (F 1,20 =7.75, p<0.01). Compared to other elite athletes male and female gymnasts tend to be less endo- morphic and more mesomorphic. This study highlighted the peculiarities of the somatotype of Italian elite gymnasts and their strong homogeneity, evident also from the low values of somatotype attitudinal mean (SAM). The results emphasize the need for a specific somatotype to reach an elite level in sport and the need to integrate the somatotype analysis between the scientific instruments for selecting talent also in artistic gymnastics

Growth and Secular Trend in School-Children from Cento, Ferrara, Italy

Growth parameters were surveyed in a sample of 296 Italian children, 6–9 years old, from Cento (Ferrara, Emilia- -Romagna). The comparison with children from the same town measured in 1974–75 show changes in some parameters, suggesting an ongoing secular trend. To better understand the observed weight increase and the sex difference, we also evaluated body composition and motricity. The analysis of the present sample is a preliminary part of a longitudinal study dealing with modifications of body composition and motor capacity induced by growth. In our sample the children are growing according to the Italian reference standard. The females present weight, height and Body Mass Index (BMI) values comparable to the 50th centile, while the males present higher values of weight, skinfold thicknesses and BMI. Sex differences in the motor performance were noted. A methodological comparison of obesity assessments based on BMI an percentage of body fat (%F) shows similar conclusions but somewhat different result

Body composition in professional and amateurs rugby players

In rugby there is a close relationship between body size of athletes, body composition and sporting success, both individually and as a team. The determination of anthropometric characteristics may then become an important instrument for the selection of athletes by managers and coaches. The analysis presented here aims to investigate the variability of body composition in athletes of professional and amateur level, taking into account the differences determined by role played by players. The results are evaluated considering also frequency and duration of training sessions conducted weekly by professionals and by amateurs. The sample consists of 66 athletes, aged between 18 and 35 years. Professional athletes are 38 (28 Forwards and 10 Backs) and amateur athletes 28 (17 Forwards and 11 Backs). The anthropometric characteristics presented here are height, weight and those that are useful to calculate body composition (skifolds: triceps, pectoral, axillary, subscapular, suprailiac, abdominal and thigh) using the equations of Jackson & Pollock (1978), suggested as valid for athletes (Sinning 1996), and Siri. Through a questionnaire has been possible to determine number and hours of weekly training. Professional athletes show higher heights, less body fat and more muscular mass in comparison with amateur athletes. The differences between the roles denote higher values of height, weight, lean mass and also fat mass in forwards than backs. In conclusion, we can detect a similar trend in anthropometric characteristics and body composition in the comparison of roles in the two grade levels. These differences are more pronounced in professional athletes suggesting a guideline in considering the character issues and selective for the success of the discovery of new talents

Sport habits, weight status and skinfolds in 12-13 years old children: case study in Bologna.

Weight gain could be related to excessive energy intake and low calories consumption as a result of reduced physical activity and unhealthy lifestyles. The increased trend toward adiposity among adolescents in the Eastern Mediterranean region places them at a high risk of adult obesity and its consequences in terms of chronic diseases later in life. The purpose of this study is to analyze, under several points of view, weight status and sport habits of children from Bologna, aged twelve and thirteen years old. The selected subjects are 419 children attending secondary school of Bologna (202 Males and 217 Females, aged between 11,5 years and 13,5 ). Anthropometric variables measureded are numerous, but in the present study we considered only weight , height, BMI (Body Mass Index) and 7 types of skinfolds: biceps, triceps, subscapularis, supraspinal, suprailiac, medial calf, lateral calf. Body composition has been derived from skinfold using the prediction equations of Slaughter et al (1988). Approach to sport habits has been determined through interview to each child, the questions asked them are related to practiced sport activities outside school and kind of sport. Data processing was performed by using “STATISTICA” software. We decided to correlate approach to sport and weight status, calculated with two different methodologies: Cole’s cut offs and percentages of body fat, derived by Slaughter’s equations. The results of this study provide an interesting profile about weight status and sport skills of adolescents aged 12 and 13 years old. The evaluation of the collected data demonstrated interesting correlations between physical activity, skinfolds and children’s weight status

Perception of fattening foods in Italian children and adolescents

The present study aimed to analyze, in Italian children and adolescents, the beliefs about which foods are fattening, the appreciation of fattening foods, and the perception of some socio-cultural attributes of them. 244 children (F: 125, M: 119, aged 8–11) and 305 adolescents (F: 153; M: 152, aged 11–14) from Bologna, Northern Italy, were asked to indicate five fattening foods. For each of the indicated foods, a yes-no answer was required to the question: “is this food special for you?”, and to six questions concerning socio-cultural attributes of the food, which were modelled using a latent variable with two classes named “traditional” and “modern”. Pearson’s chi square tests revealed, both in boys and girls, significant associations between the age class and the foods indicated as fattening: lean meat, condiments, non-sweet fruit and vegetables were more often indicated as fattening by children than by adolescents. Overall, boys showed higher appreciation and perception of fashionability of fattening foods. Girls appreciated less bread and pasta, and indicated more often than boys these foods as fattening. The different food perception of between age classes and sexes can be respectively explained by a better dietary awareness of adolescents, and by girls worrying about their look more than boys