| Obesity in young people is now realised as a worldwide crisis
of epidemic proportion. The aetiology of this disease suggests a disruption
in regulation of energy at the population level, leading to a positive
energy balance and excess adiposity. The relative contribution of
food intake and physical inactivity remains to be elucidated. Treatment
interventions have aimed to create a deficit in energy balance through
manipulation of physical activity, behavioural components or, to a
lesser extent, dietary modification. Whether such intervention is
maintained in the long-term is as yet unclear, however it seems a
combination of therapies is optimal. Mindful of a mismatch between
energy intake and expenditure, recent work has begun to examine the
acute relationship between physical activity and food intake in children.
Initial findings suggest a short-term delay in compensation through
energy intake for exercise- induced energy expenditure. The overarching
study of energy regulation in children and adolescents is clearly
multifaceted in nature and variables to be assessed or manipulated
require careful consideration. The collection of paediatric physical
activity, energy expenditure and food intake data is a time-consuming
process, fraught with potential sources of error. Investigators should
consider the validity and reliability of these and other issues, alongside
the logistics of any proposed study. Despite these areas of concern,
recent advances in the field should provide exciting opportunities
for future research in paediatric energy regulation on a variety of
levels.
KEY
WORDS: Obesity, children, diet, energy expenditure.
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