Changes in body weight, dietary intake and activity pattern of adolescents during Ramadan

A study was carried out on 117 schoolchildren comprising 51 boys and 66 girls between the ages of 10 and 13 years to evaluate the effect of Ramadan-fasting on body weight. The results revealed that more than 90% of the subjects experienced a decrease in body weight during Ramadan. The initial mean body weight of the boys and girls were 35.7 ± 6.7 kg and 35.2 ± 6.1 kg respectively. After four weeks' fast, the boys and girls significantly lost (p<0.001) an average of 4.2% and 3.7% of their initial body weight respectively. Dietary intake and activity pattern were also assessed in a subgroup of 20 boys and 30 girls during the same period. The mean daily energy intake during Ramadan-fasting {boys 1230 ± 363 kcal (5.15 ± 1.52 MJ), girls 1034 ± 290 kcal (4.33 ± 1.21 MJ)} was significantly lower (p<0.001) than intake assessed before Ramadan {boys 1520 ± 463 kcal (6.36 ± 1.94 MJ), girls 1344 ± 428 kcal (5.62 ± 1.79 MJ)}. Both values were found to be below the suggested daily dietary intake for Malaysians of similar sex and age group recommended by Teoh (1975). Both boys and girls significantly decreased their intakes of fat, carbohydrate and thiamine during Ramadan. However, intakes of protein, niacin, vitamins A and C were found to be comparable to non-fasting values. During Ramadan, the mean intake of all nutrients analysed except protein were lower than recommended values. The boys spent significantly more (p<0.05) time sitting and significantly less (p<0.05) time standing and in moderately active pursuits during Ramadan. During this period, the boys spent more time in prayers compared with the girls. Time spent on all other activities did not differ between the fasting and non-fasting months. The findings suggest that the decrease in body weight during Ramadan may be primarily due to the reduction in energy intake since activity pattern remain fairly constant. The nutrient intake pattern of the adolescents studied may be of great concern in the long-term, as it does not meet the requirements for the normal growth of adolescents.