Nutritional Intervention and Physical Activity in Adolescents and Children with Obesity

Sep 30, 2026

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Nutritional intervention and physical activity are examined in relation to adolescent and childhood obesity, focusing on how rapidly changing dietary patterns, activity levels, sleep habits, and digital technology use jointly shape children’s health. The work reviews evidence on breakfast quality, meal structure, ultra-processed foods, and family influences, alongside the associations between screen time and sedentary behavior, sleep disturbance, and cardiometabolic and emotional risks. It highlights multicomponent interventions across school, family, and digital contexts, notes current research gaps, and outlines future directions for integrated, long-term, culturally tailored prevention strategies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

1. Recent Advances in the Field

1.1. New Perspectives on Dietary Behaviours

1.2. The Impact of the Digital Environment

1.3. Innovative Interventions in School, Family, and Digital Settings

1.4. New Markers for Early Detection of Obesity Risk

2. Existing Knowledge Gaps

3. Contribution of This Special Issue

4. Key Directions for Future Research

Editorial Nutritional Intervention and Physical Activity in Adolescents and Children with Obesity Cristina Romero-Blanco 1, * and Susana Aznar 2 Received: 12 December 2025 Accepted: 15 December 2025 Published: 28 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 PAFS Research Group (Promotion of Physical Activity for Health Research Group), Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Ciudad Real Faculty of Nursing, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain 2 PAFS Research Group (Promotion of Physical Activity for Health Research Group), Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain; [susana.aznar@uclm.es](susana.aznar@uclm.es) * Correspondence: [cristina.romero@uclm.es](cristina.romero@uclm.es) 1. Recent Advances in the Field The scientific evidence on nutrition, lifestyle behaviours, and child and adolescent health highlights a reality increasingly shared at the global level: dietary patterns, physical activity levels, sleep habits, and the use of digital technologies are undergoing rapid and interconnected changes that carry significant implications for the health of children and young people [1–3] . In this context, recent research has enabled substantial advances in the understanding of the determinants of overweight, energy balance, and the adoption of healthy behaviours during critical stages of development [4,5] . 1.1. New Perspectives on Dietary Behaviours Scientific evidence has consolidated the role of factors such as breakfast quality, meal structure, and exposure to ultra-processed foods in shaping children’s health [6,7] . Likewise, considerable evidence demonstrates the influence of the family environment on the formation of eating habits, highlighting the role of parents, food availability in the home, and family mealtime dynamics [8] . 1.2. The Impact of the Digital Environment Intensive screen use from early childhood is consistently associated with lower levels of physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour, sleep disturbances, and a higher risk of cardiometabolic and emotional disorders [9–11] . These findings have driven growing interest in understanding the effects of screen time and in designing effective intervention strategies within digital contexts. 1.3. Innovative Interventions in School, Family, and Digital Settings Multicomponent school-based interventions continue to demonstrate effectiveness in promoting improvements in health-related behaviours, particularly when they involve modifications to the food environment and active engagement of the educational community [12,13] . At the same time, there has been significant growth in interventions based on mobile technologies, digital applications, and e-Health platforms, which show considerable potential to facilitate sustained behaviour change among children and adolescents [14–16] . 1.4. New Markers for Early Detection of Obesity Risk Changes in BMI trajectories and dietary quality indices provide new opportunities for the early identification of cardiometabolic risk [17,18] . In parallel, compositional analyses of time allocated to physical activity, sleep, and sedentary behaviours are enabling a more precise understanding of how these behaviours interact and contribute to obesity risk [19] . 2. Existing Knowledge Gaps Despite these advances, important gaps in knowledge remain. Deeper inquiry into the interaction of multiple behaviours, adaptation to sociocultural diversity and emerging environments, and the need for more long-term studies remain pressing issues. Although evidence exists regarding the roles of diet, physical activity, sleep, and screen time, further understanding is needed into how these behaviours interact and which combinations are most influ

FAQs

What factors are discussed as shaping children’s and adolescents’ health in relation to obesity?

The text highlights dietary patterns, physical activity levels, sleep habits, and digital technology use, emphasizing that these factors change rapidly and interact in ways that affect obesity risk.

How does screen time relate to physical activity, sleep, and obesity risk?

Intensive screen use is associated with lower physical activity, higher sedentary behavior, sleep disturbances, and increased risk of cardiometabolic and emotional disorders, motivating digital-context interventions.

What research gaps and future directions are emphasized?

The document calls for deeper study of interactions among multiple behaviors, adaptation to sociocultural diversity, and more long-term research. Future work should use integrated models covering diet, sleep, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and mental health, and support digital and policy interventions tailored to individuals and families.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by awa