«Ponte al 100», a nationwide exercise and nutrition intervention program in Mexican children and Adolescents: study population and methodology

Juan José Palacios-Butchart, Presidente de la Fundación Movimiento es Salud, Mexico City, Mexico
Juan Manuel Herrera-Navarro, Asesor de la Fundación Movimiento es Salud, Mexico City, Mexico
Virgilio Melgar, Neurological Center, American British Cowdray Medical Center and Clinical Investigation Training Center, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional S.XXI, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
Maria José Rangel, Neurological Center, American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico
Aldo Ferreira-Hermosillo, Editor en Jefe, Revista Mexicana de Endocrinología, Metabolismo y Nutrición, Ciudad de México, México
Ivonne Roy-Garcia, Family Medicine Unit #28, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
Marcela Pérez-Rodríguez, Clinical Investigation Training Center, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional S.XXI, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
Rodolfo Rivas-Ruiz, Clinical Investigation Training Center, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional S.XXI, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
Maura Noyola-Garcia, Internal Medicine Service, Centro Medico Nacional S. XXI, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
Juan O. Talavera, Neurological Center, American British Cowdray Medical Center and Clinical Investigation Training Center, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional S.XXI, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
Moisés Mercado, Neurological Center, American British Cowdray Medical Center and Endocrinology Service/Experimental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional S.XXI, IMSS

Introduction: Mexico is the country with the highest prevalence of obesity in the world and ranks sixth in childhood obesity. Fueling this epidemic are physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet. Almost 60% of Mexican children are physically inactive. Physical fitness, an integrated measure of bodily functions involved in the performance of physical activity, is one of the most important markers of an individual’s health status and its improvement has been shown to eliminate obesity related excess mortality. Methods: «Ponte al 100» is an ongoing, nationwide, prospective program that involves the evaluation of physical fitness and the prescription of an individualized dietary and physical activity schedule in order to improve physical fitness. After a baseline evaluation, follow-up evaluations are carried out on a trimester basis. Each evaluation involves gathering data on: (i) body composition; (ii) motor fitness; (iii) musculoskeletal fitness; (iv) cardiorespiratory fitness; and (v) neuropsychological fitness. All measurements are performed according to the Ponte al 100 manual. Population: Children and adolescents attending official elementary schools throughout Mexico. Thus far, more than one million subjects have been enrolled. Conclusion: The emergence of the obesity epidemic is halting progress and prosperity of Mexico. The Ponte al 100 program is aimed at identifying and managing this problem through the evaluation of functional capacity.

Palabras clave: Exercise. Obesity. Physical fitness.