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Purpose The World Health Organization recommends reduction of salt intake to Methods The study population was made of 1270 children and adolescents. Estimates of salt consumption and iodine intake were obtained by measuring 24 h urinary sodium and iodine excretion. Results The iodine intake increased gradually across quartiles of salt consumption independently of sex, age and body weight (p 10.2 g/day). We estimated that approximately 65–73% of the total iodine intake was derived from food and 27–35% from iodized salt and that iodized salt made actually only 20% of the total salt intake. Conclusion In this pediatric population, in face of an elevated average salt consumption, the use of iodized salt was still insufficient to ensure an adequate iodine intake, in particular among teenagers. In the perspective of a progressive reduction of total salt intake, the health institutions should continue to support iodoprophylaxis, in the context of the national strategies for salt reduction. In order for these policies to be successful, in addition to educational campaigns, it is needed that the prescriptions contained in the current legislation on iodoprophylaxis are made compelling through specific enforcement measures for all the involved stakeholders.

Obesity is a complex public health issue. Recent data indicate the increasing prevalence and severity of obesity in children. Severe obesity is a real chronic condition for the difficulties of long-term clinical treatment, the high drop-out rate, the large burden of health and psychological problems and the high probability of persistence in adulthood. A staged approach for weight management is recommended. The establishment of permanent healthy lifestyle habits aimed at healthy eating, increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior is the first outcome, because of the long-term health benefits of these behaviors. Improvement in medical conditions is also an important sign of long-term health benefits. Rapid weight loss is not pursued, for the implications on growth ad pubertal development and the risk of inducing eating disorders. Children and adolescents with severe obesity should be referred to a pediatric weight management center that has access to a multidisciplinary team with expertise in childhood obesity. This article provides pediatricians a comprehensive and evidence based update on treatment recommendations of severe obesity in children and adolescents. PMID: 22728613 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of meeting health recommendations on diet and physical activity (having breakfast, eating fruit and vegetables, consumption of milk/yoghurt, performing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, limiting television watching) and to assess junk snack food consumption in adolescents from southern Italy. The association between healthy behaviours and abdominal adiposity was also examined. Design In a cross-sectional protocol, anthropometric data were measured by trained operators while other data were collected through a structured interview. Setting Three high schools in Naples, Italy. Subjects A sample of 478 students, aged 14-17 years, was studied. Results The proportion of adolescents who met each of the health recommendations varied: 55·4 % had breakfast on ???6 d/week; 2·9 % ate ???5 servings of fruit and vegetables/d; 1·9 % had ???3 servings of milk/yoghurt daily; 13·6 % performed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for ???60 min/d; and 46·3 % watched television for