Lifestyle of school children: representative survey in metropolitan elementary schools. Part one.

Background/aims: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among school children is increasing dramatically. Obesity is multifactorial and depends on lifestyle as well as genetic components. The purpose of the survey was to investigate the lifestyle of 7- to 14-year-old children attending elementary schools in Budapest.

Methods: The research was questionnaire-based. Children were asked to answer questions about their leisure activities, physical exercise, nutritional, eating, and smoking habits.

Results: Many children live a sedentary life and are dissatisfied with their body weight. One in 5 boys and 1 in 3 girls have been on a slimming diet at least once. About two-thirds of the children regularly consumed vitamin and/or mineral supplements and at the same time just over half of them knew how much fruit should be eaten daily. School children in the upper classes did not eat 5 times a day. More than 5% of the 11- to 14-year-old boys and more than 10% of the girls smoked regularly.

Conclusions: According to our results, the unfavorable lifestyle of the great majority of Hungarian school children may have implications for their health during adulthood.