Telemetric monitoring of the effects of physical activity on school-age overweight/obese students: a pilot study

Aim. Poor eating habit and a widespread sedentary lifestyle, leaded to a significant increase of childhood obesity in the world. The purpose of the present pilot study was to evaluate the applicability of the telemetric monitoring of medical parameters for planning a structured program of physical activity tailored to the school overweight/obese students. Methods. Fifty-two students of both sexes (age: 15.34 +/- 0.58) were enrolled. They were divided into two groups. Group A, consisting of 26 students, underwent a specific program of physical activity designed by specialists in physical activity addressed to special populations and adjusted for the level of training of children. Group B, consisting of 26 students engaged in ordinary school activities, served as control group. Specific physical parameters were collected in both groups, and values were sent real time via telemetry to the research center by the teacher of physical education during the course of the lesson. Results. A regular physical growth was pointed out in both groups, weight decreased more significantly in the study group, as well as mean arterial pressure and heart rate when compared to the control group. Additionally, the study group showed a lower incidence of respiratory diseases. Conclusion. The results confirmed the importance of physical activity for the prevention of obesity in youth, and the advantages of the use of real time telemetric data not only for prophylaxis and therapy, but also when cost effective and time savings issues are concerned.