Background and objective: To estimate the prevalence of obesity and overweight in Canary adolescents, evaluating its association with breakfast intake and physical activity.
Subjects and method: Cross-sectional study of a representative sample of children aged 12-14 years living in the island of Gran Canaria. They were weighed and measured and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was determined according to the 85th and 97th percentiles of the Spanish body mass index tables. Breakfast and physical activity characteristics were also studied using questionnaires.
Results: The overall prevalence of obesity and overweight was 26.1%, higher in females (29.5%) than in males (22.8%). Obesity affects 14.8% of all teenagers (17.6% of girls and 12.0% of boys). Highest overweight and obesity levels affect those aged 12 years, decreasing progressively with age. Those boys who have a more complete breakfast have lower prevalence rates. There was no association between obesity and overweight with physical activity, as measured by the number of hours devoted to watching television or playing videogames as opposed to hours devoted to sport.
Conclusions: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is high, especially in girls. We observed an inverse relationship between breakfast and its quality and obesity.