The Northern Territory leg of Australia's most ambitious health and fitness study begins in Darwin tomorrow (15 April), where 60 study participants will be put through their paces nearly 20 years after they were studied as school children.

The Northern Territory leg of Australia's most ambitious health and fitness study begins in Darwin tomorrow (15 April), where 60 study participants will be put through their paces nearly 20 years after they were studied as school children.

The Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH) study is being run by the Menzies Research Institute in collaboration with the International Diabetes Institute and the Centre for Adolescent Health. It involves more than 5,000 participants across Australia who in 1985 were part of the Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey.

The study participants will undergo 40 minutes of testing, which aims to measure risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in later life. Testing in Darwin will take three days.

CDAH Project Manager Marita Dalton said much of what was known about these conditions was determined through research conducted in adults.

"There is strong evidence to suggest that the early stages of these diseases start to occur in childhood," she said.

"By following-up the original study participants, we aim to determine how much lifestyle and other exposures in childhood affect a person's chances of developing heart disease and diabetes in later life."

Ms Dalton said it was rare to get the opportunity to examine people nearly 20 years after they were originally tested.

"The information we collect from the CDAH study could prove to be vital in developing new preventative measures for heart disease and diabetes," she said.

Study participants' health checks include measurements of blood pressure, body fat percentage, blood cholesterol and sugar levels.

Participants will also complete a series of questionnaires covering lifestyle, physical activity, diet and emotional wellbeing.

Study participants in Queensland will be the next to be put through their paces from April to June this year. The remaining states and territories will be completed in the next 12 months. Further follow-up tests are planned in ten years' time.

The research study has been predominantly funded by a $2.3 million grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council. The National Heart Foundation and the Tasmanian Community Fund have provided other funding support for the research.

The Sanitarium Health Food Company is proud to be the major sponsor of the research study. The company will provide nutritional and healthy breakfast foods for study participants.

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