Assessment of hepatic glucose metabolism by indirect calorimetry in combination with a non-invasive technique using naturally enriched 13C glucose in healthy children and adolescents.

The metabolic fate of hepatic glucose can be best studied using invasive techniques such as tracer infusions and frequent blood sampling which have been revealed to be impractical in the pediatric age group. The aim of this study was to develop a non-invasive method based on indirect calorimetry and expired 13CO2 monitoring in order to gain insight into the mechanisms leading to impaired glucose tolerance in children and teenagers. As a first step, net glucose oxidation (NGO) and energy expenditure (EE) were measured in 47 subjects (range 7.

[Obesity in Switzerland: body mass index (BMI) percentiles of a child and adolescent population born in 1980 in Lausanne and comparison with Swuss norms (1955)].

Objectives: The objective of this study is to calculate the percentiles of BMI of a cohort of 1,203 children and adolescents, representing the 95% of the pupils of the school, born in 1980 followed longitudinally between 5 and 16 years. We compare these percentiles with those of the first swiss study, calculated on a cohort born in 1954-1956.

Methods: The percentiles were calculated with the method of Cole, on the basis of weight and height measured during the controls by the school health service, at a non-periodic mean interval of 14 months.

Obesity in Switzerland: a critical assessment of prevalence in children and adults.

The objective was to analyze the situation in Switzerland regarding the prevalence of overweight or obesity in children, adolescents and adults. The data were compared with France, an adjacent much larger country. The results showed that there is a definitive lack of objective information in Switzerland on the prevalence of obesity at different ages.

[Vaccination against hepatitis B in school: factors influencing acceptance and evaluation of general vaccination coverage ].

The second vaccination campaign against Hepatitis B in Lausanne concerned 1243 students of the seventh grade. This campaign was actively supported by personalized information given to each adolescent in the class room. The decisions were collected in the same way, and in necessary the nurse phoned the parents for further information.

Sex-dependent variations and timing of thyroid growth during puberty.

Marked changes in thyroid function occur during puberty as an adaptation to body and sexual development. Characteristics of thyroid growth were investigated in 259 healthy adolescents (110 girls and 149 boys), aged 11--17 yr, in an urban area of Switzerland with sufficient iodine supply. The thyroid volume determined by ultrasonography was correlated with chronological age, body weight, body height, cervical circumference, body mass index, and body surface area (BSA).

[Iodine nutrition and prevalence of goiter in adolescents in the Canton of Vaud].

Iodine deficiency disorders virtually disappeared in Switzerland after iodized salt was introduced in 1922 and the iodine content increased from 3.75 to 7.5 mg/kg in 1962 and to 15 mg/kg in 1980.

[Nutritional balance of breakfast of children 7 to 11 years of age: comparison between school health education and eating behavior at home].

Following the favourable impact of a health education programme carried out in a school setting concerning "healthy eating at breakfast", the consumption of food at home for all meals, and separately at breakfast time was evaluated by using a "food-frequency" questionnaire. These results were then compared with the results of the school health education programme which focused primarily on breakfasts. The results of the survey, which included 80 children between 7 and 11 years old, show a great stability in the choice of foods, and during the action interesting variations concerning the respective proportions of nutriments according the recommended dietary allowances.