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Introduction: Among the risk factors for coronary artery disease, less attention has been paid to physical activity, especially in children and adolescents. Various studies have shown that their level of physical activity is lower than the standard for maintaining lower health. In this study, the pattern of physical activity of children and adolescents in the central regions of Iran is examined.
Method: In this descriptive study, which is part of the first phase of the Isfahan Healthy Heart Project and was conducted in 2002, awareness of the attitude and performance of 4,000 urban and rural children and adolescents in preschool to high school in Isfahan (Isfahan, Najafabad) and Markazi (Arak city) and the parents of these students and 500 teachers and school officials have been examined about physical activity and the duration of watching TV through a questionnaire. Sampling was selected in the form of a random cluster and in proportion to the urban and rural population living in the two provinces. Data were analyzed with SPSS software and p<0.05 were considered significant.
Results: About 40 percent of middle and high school students in the two provinces practiced regular sports at school less than two hours a week. Regular morning exercise and school sports were more common in girls than boys (p<0.00001), but regular extracurricular exercise and sports team membership were more common in boys (P<0.001). More than 77 percent of parents were unaware of the importance of childhood exercise in their children's health. The average TV viewing time for children of different ages was 4 hours a day.
Conclusion: The level of physical activity of middle and high school students in the central regions of Iran is less than the desired level and the duration of watching TV is more than the recommended values.

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Background: Increased insulin resistance, inflammatory factors and parameters of oxidative stress are associated with the development of diabetes complications. This study was designed to determine the beneficial effects of synbiotic Gaz on insulin resistance, inflammatory factor and oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials and Methods: This randomized crossover double-blinded controlled clinical trial was performed among 62 diabetic patients aged 35-70 y. Subjects were randomly assigned to consume of either the synbiotic (n=62) or control Gaz (n=62) for 6 weeks. A 3-week washout period considered. The synbiotic Gaz was consisted of a probiotic viable and heat-resistance strain Lactobacillus sporogenes (1×107 CFU), 0.04 g inulin and 0.05 g stevia per 1 g as sweeteners' substances. Control Gaz (the same substance without probiotic bacteria and prebiotic inulin) was. Patients were received synbiotic and control foods in a 7 g package thrice a day. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after 6-week intervention to measure insulin resistance, hs-CRP and biomarkers of oxidative stress.

Results: Consumption of synbiotic Gaz, compared with control, resulted in a significant decrease in serum insulin (p=0.02) and hs-CRP levels (p=0.008). Supplementation with synbiotic Gaz led also to a significant increase in plasma total glutathione (p<0.0001) compared to the control.

Conclusion: In conclusion, consumption of synbiotic Gaz for 6 weeks resulted in decreased levels of serum insulin, hs-CRP and increased levels of plasma total glutathione.