title: Lifestyle of school children: representative survey in metropolitan elementary schools. Part one.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Budapest, Hungary. yurphan@freemail.hu
authors.forename: Szabolcs
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Péter
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Regöly-Mérei
authors.forename: Lajos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biró
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Györgyi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arató
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Szabó
authors.forename: Adrienn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vámos
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martos
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires