title: [Obesity and arterial hypertension in children: current calamity].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A study was carried out on students of a middle school with a medium-high social level in a southern zone of Rome, to assess the current situation regarding obesity and arterial hypertension in subjects with a parental environment favouring correct eating habits.
  
  
  METHODS
  We considered 693 students, mean age 11.2 + 0.6. Hypertension was defined according to blood pressure (BP) tables for children and adolescents of the NIH - Fourth Report (systolic and diastolic BP >95th percentile for age and sex). Overweight and obesity were determined according to the International Obesity Task Force. Dietary habits and life-style were investigated by specific questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of overweight and obesity was respectively 23.1% and 3.3% of the subjects studied. Moreover, 5.2% of them showed BP values between 90th and 95th percentile and 7.8% was hypertensive. Food habits of the current students were fairly correct, favouring the Mediterranean diet and with the proper number of daily meals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A justification for the high number of hypertensive could be due to the elevated consumption of salt added to food (60% of young people), the elevated frequency of those who often eat fast food (43%) and a family history of hypertension in the parents (24%). Only 24.5% of males and 22.9% of females used to practice physical activity; whereas 40% of males and 41% of females used to spend more than 3 hours a day in front of the TV and/or computer.
authors.affiliation: Direttivo Gruppo Studio Ipertensione, Società Italiana di Pediatria, GSIPER, Roma, Italia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Menghetti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Musacchio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tawill
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vicini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spagnolo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012384:Rome / Q000453:epidemiology