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Our aim was to analyze the joint association of parental characteristics and offspring obesity indicators with metabolic risk in adolescents. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 972 adolescents and their parents. We observed that overweight adolescents who have a normal weight mother show lower metabolic risk in comparison with their counterparts with overweight mothers. In conclusion, mother's weight status moderates the relationship between offspring' obesity indicators and metabolic risk in adolescents.

Our aim was to identify prenatal, biological and environmental correlates of child to adolescence physical activity maintenance in 1,186 Brazilian youth (525 boys) aged between 10 and 16 years. Current and former physical activity levels were obtained cross-sectionally through questionnaires. As potential correlates, parent's activity levels, socioeconomic status and offspring's birth weight were self-reported by parents. Somatic maturation was estimated by the peak of height velocity. Logistic regression analyses revealed that, regardless of chronological age, males were more likely to be active in childhood (OR = 1.73 [CI 95% = 1.33 to 2.27]) and to maintain physical activity (adjusted by chronological age, sex, birth weight and mother's physical activity) (OR = 3.58 [CI 95% = 2.32 to 5.54]), as well as late maturing adolescents (OR = 2.52 [CI 95% = 1.02 to 6.22]). Adolescents whose mother was inactive (OR = 0.31 [CI 95% = 0.11 to 0.86]) also had a lower probability of maintaining physical activity. Thus, girls, adolescents born with low weight and those with inactive mother are less likely to maintain physical activity levels from childhood to adolescence.

The scope of this article is to describe the Portuguese Weight Control Registry (PWCR) methodology and the participants currently enrolled specifically with respect to their individual and family weight history, previous weight loss attempts, and psychosocial characteristics. One hundred and ninety-eight adults (age: 39.7±11.1 years; BMI: 26.0±3.9 kg/m2), 59% women, filled out a questionnaire about demographics, health-related behaviors and motivation, and methods and strategies used to lose and/or maintain weight loss. Participants reported an average weight loss of 17.4 kg for an average of 29 months. Concerning the number of weight loss attempts, 73% of participants reported a maximum of three attempts of going on a diet, and 34% indicated only one attempt to lose weight in the past. The PWCR now features a considerable number of successful long-term weight loss maintainers in Portugal. Participants will be followed over the next years to learn about their characteristics and weight loss strategies in further detail, as well as to identify predictors of continued weight loss maintenance.