This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The increasing numbers of overweight children and adolescents poses a major threat to America's health. Although the Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Education, and Texas Department of Health provide schools with guidelines to improve their physical education (PE), the best way to evaluate these guidelines is not established. Therefore, their actual benefit is unknown. Our hypothesis is that newer high school exercise programs can help reverse the heart abnormalities that occur in overweight youngsters. After a physical examination and answering a questionnaire, the students will undergo some testing before and after participate in one of two different physical education courses. One course will be no different from those taught presently. The other will be a newly designed program that is in greater accordance with state and national guidelines. The tests that will be performed include an electrocardiogram (ECG), a form of heart rhythm analysis called heart rate variability, and a heart sonogram (echocardiogram). Some blood will be drawn for analysis of blood sugar, insulin, a hormone called leptin, and a type of fat molecule called fatty acid. We will determine whether the new PE course is an improvement over the present-day course by seeing if beneficial changes occur in the tests that were obtained before the course began. Overweight adolescents are at increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. These problems will significantly decrease their quality of life and life expectancy, and will greatly increase the costs of health car
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