More physical activity and less tv time lower risk of obesity in kids
Children who meet guidelines encouraging more physical activity and less TV time have a lower risk of obesity, according to new research presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Porto, Portugal.Carried out by a team from the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre, Baton Rouge, LA, USA, the study looked at the effect of the Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines on 357 children aged 5-18 years.The internationally recognised guidelines include recommendations on amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behaviour (television viewing), and sleep for children and teenagers.They recommend a minimum of 60 minutes MVPA on at least five days per week, less than two hours a day of watching television, and sleeping nine to 11 hours/night for five- to 13-year-olds, and eight to 10 hours/night for 14- to 18-year-olds.For the study, the researchers measured the children’s levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and amount of sleep using questionnaires.Measurements of height and weight were taken to calculate each child’s BMI, and levels of body fat were also measured.Thirty-five per cent of children met the guidelines on MVPA, 31 per cent met the targets on sedentary behaviour, and 52 per cent met the target for sleep duration.Twenty-seven per cent of the sample group achieved none of the guidelines.The results showed that those children who met all three guidelines had an 89 per cent lower risk of being obese than the children who met none of the guidelines.Those who met two out of three guidelines benefited from a 40 per cent reduced risk of obesity compared to those meeting none of the guidelines, while those who achieved one out of three guidelines had a 24 per cent lower risk.In addition, the team found that those who achieved the recommended guidelines on physical activity also had significantly lower levels of body fat, and those who met the levels of sedentary behaviour and sleep had a significantly lower BMI and lower levels of body fat.Obesity and carrying excess body fat are known risk factors for a variety of serious health conditions including diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and even dementia, with research suggesting that the harmful effects of obesity can start as early as childhood.Based on their findings, the researchers concluded: “This work suggests that interventions that target multiple lifestyle behaviours may have a potent effect on levels of obesity and overweight in children.”— AFP
