simone
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 Posted: 10/06/06 - 05:01 Post subject: Exercise Not Enough to Cut Weight in Children |
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Obesity pandemic in children is spreading world wide. The number of overweight and obese children is growing and with these numbers their health problems are on the rise too. Obese children can as well as the older suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high insulin levels. These disorders could be their companions for life if measures are not taken and could severely impair the quality of life.
The World Health Organization’s statistics show that there are around 20 million overweight children under the age of 5 and more than 1.6 billion adults.
Scientists are trying to encourage children, their parents and teachers to take early steps and intervene, prevent them from developing these problems. They are at the same time trying to find out what measurement should be taken to prevent or treat obesity in children.
It is important that children start exercising from an early age, so that it could become a habit to them. However, the latest study shows that exercising alone is not enough for youngsters to prevent or treat the obesity only by exercising. Other efforts need to be done and they include changes in diet and behaviour. Parents are the first who should make these changes so that children will have someone to look up to.
Two hundred and thirty one 4-year-olds have been followed over a period of six months. They had participated in a 30-minute exercise program three times a week. No significant change has been seen in their body mass index at the end of the program which shows that exercising alone may not be enough.
The researchers are emphasizing the importance of making changes not just at home or school but in the children’s wider environment as well. So, all factors that lead to obesity need to be taken into consideration and introduced to children in their early age. Introducing just one aspect, like regular exercise, is no good or at least not enough. |
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