Researchers observe an increase in problems such as obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol in young people; sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are the main causes
Most Brazilian adolescents (81.3%) have two or more risk factors for chronic diseases non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular problems and diabetes. This is what a recent study by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) reveals. published in the magazine BMC Pediatrics, which evaluated the lifestyle of young people considering their eating habits, physical activitysmoking, among others.
The authors used data from the main national surveillance survey of risk factors in schoolchildren, the National School Health Survey (PeNSE), which included the participation of 121,580 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, from public and private schools across the country. The youth answered questionnaires with questions on seven variables: fruit and vegetable consumption, regular intake of soft drinkssweets and alcoholexercise, sedentary lifestyle and smoking.
The main risk factor detected is the lack of physical activity, since 71.5% of the interviewees do little physical exercise. In addition, more than half (58%) do not eat an adequate amount of fruit and vegetables, and a third (32.9%) consume an excess of sweets such as sweets and chocolates. The survey also observed that 17.2% abuse soft drinks and 28.1% alcohol. A minority (6.2%) are smokers.
There was no difference between students in public and private schools. The results were slightly better in rural areas; The South-East region is the one where young people mostly present two or more risk factors.
“We expected a negative scenario, but not this serious,” says nurse Alanna Gomes da Silva, first author of the study and postdoctoral resident at the UFMG School of Nursing. “It is known that lifestyle is among the main causes of these diseases and only 3.9% of young people do not have risk factors, while 9% have all seven,” Silva comments.
“The results are not surprising, but they are frightening,” says pediatric cardiologist Gustavo Foronda, of the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital. “This is what we have seen in recent years, especially in large urban centers, with children and young people who have an increasingly worse quality of life. So much so that today’s adolescents are sicker than those of 40 or 50 years ago.”
There are several reasons behind the change in habits. “Urban violence, for example, has an impact on physical activity, as children stop playing in the streets, in squares or parks, and start to depend on guided activities, such as sports lessons, or club memberships, and this is not accessible to everyone,” says doctor Einstein.
The use of electronic devices, such as cell phones, tablets, and video games, is tolerated by parents as a form of distraction and to keep children calmer. The ease of access to ultra-processed products ends up harming the quality of food. “Today it is easier to compose a snack with snacks and canned juices, for example,” notes Foronda.
The problem is that there is usually an association of these bad habits: an already sedentary child can spend hours playing video games and snacking on sweets, for example. All of this also affects socialization and mental health.
This unhealthy lifestyle increases the chance of diseases at an early age. “We have observed an increase in the number of overweight children, with hypertension AND cholesterol “high,” reports the pediatric cardiologist. “But our biggest concern is why an adolescent with all these risk factors leads to an adult with more risk factors for cardiovascular disease, obesitymetabolic syndrome and even some types of Cancerbecause the risk of these diseases increases significantly when all these factors are already present in childhood and adolescence.”
Today it is known that longevity is associated with five lifestyle pillars: sleep adequate, food healthy and regular physical activity, control of stress and socialization. “These numbers worry us a lot because none of these pillars are respected from childhood so that these adolescents become healthy adults. Unfortunately, even people do not understand the importance of these treatments”, laments the doctor.
For Alanna Gomes da Silva, there is a lack of measures aimed at this audience. “It is necessary to promote actions that involve schools, parents and society as a whole and include issues such as school meals, access to fruit and vegetable consumption, which is sometimes hindered by socioeconomic issues,” she says. The researcher warns that it is necessary to encourage physical activity both at school and in free time, with greater control over the use of screens by parents and guardians.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
