Despite the known benefits of physical activity, less than 50% of children in the United States meet the national physical activity recommendations of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. 1 Overweight/obese (OW/OB) children fare even worse with only 20%–40% meeting the
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Matthew R. Nagy, Molly P. O’Sullivan, Shannon S. Block, Trevor R. Tooley, Leah E. Robinson, Natalie Colabianchi, and Rebecca E. Hasson
Brandon Dykstra, Dillon Kuszmaul, and Anthony D. Mahon
MF with respect to fat metabolism in children. The aim of this study was to compare MF during an exercise bout, following a prior exercise stimulus, in children who are overweight/obese and children who are lean. It was hypothesized that MF with respect to fat metabolism during exercise would be
Alireza Paahoo, Vahid Tadibi, and Nasser Behpoor
). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two 12-week HIIT or continuous aerobic training protocols on the ratio of anti-atherosclerotic to pre-atherosclerotic components, levels of inflammatory markers, and lipid profile in children with overweight/obesity. Methods Participants Forty
Pasmore Malambo, Andre P. Kengne, Estelle V. Lambert, Anniza De Villiers, and Thandi Puoane
environment, and overweight/obesity in free-living South African adults. Methods Study Design and Population This cross-sectional study uses data from the Cape Town (urban) and Mount Frere (rural) sites of the global Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study. 19 During baseline evaluation conducted in 2008
Samuel Carvalho Dumith, Virgílio Viana Ramires, Matheus Alves Souza, Daniel Souza Moraes, Fabrício Godoy Petry, Eduardo Soldera Oliveira, Sandro Viana Ramires, and Pedro C. Hallal
Background:
Physical fitness is strongly associated with several positive health indicators among adolescents. However, its association with body mass index status is inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore the association between overweight/obesity and physical fitness among children and adolescents.
Methods:
The design consisted of a cross-sectional study comprising 519 Brazilian students age 7 to 15 years. BMI status was assessed according to sex- and age-specific growth charts. Physical fitness was assessed using 8 tests: sit-and-reach, stationary long jump, 1-minute curl-up, modified pull-up, medicine-ball throw, 9-minute run, 20-m run, and 4-m shuttle-run.
Results:
Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 24% and 12%, respectively. Boys performed better than girls in all tests, except flexibility. Normal weight students performed better than overweight and obese students in all tests, except the sit-and-reach and the medicine-ball throw. Cardiorespiratory fitness had the strongest association with BMI status. The prevalence of obese subjects classified as “most fit” was less than 10%.
Conclusions:
Higher values of body mass index were associated with declines in physical fitness, independent of age. The majority of obese children and adolescents and almost a half of those overweight were classified in the third tertile of physical fitness (least fit).
Hala Youssef, Carole Groussard, Sophie Lemoine-Morel, Christophe Jacob, Elie Moussa, Abdallah Fazah, Jean-Claude Pineau, Joel Pincemail, Josiane Cillard, and Arlette Delamarche
This study aimed to determine whether aerobic training could reduce lipid peroxidation and inflammation at rest and after maximal exhaustive exercise in overweight/obese adolescent girls. Thirty-nine adolescent girls (14-19 years old) were classified as nonobese or overweight/obese and then randomly assigned to either the nontrained or trained group (12-week multivariate aerobic training program). Measurements at the beginning of the experiment and at 3 months consisted of body composition, aerobic fitness (VO2peak) and the following blood assays: pre- and postexercise lipid peroxidation (15F2a-isoprostanes [F2-Isop], lipid hydroperoxide [ROOH], oxidized LDL [ox-LDL]) and inflammation (myeloperoxidase [MPO]) markers. In the overweight/obese group, the training program significantly increased their fat-free mass (FFM) and decreased their percentage of fat mass (%FM) and hip circumference but did not modify their VO2peak. Conversely, in the nontrained overweight/obese group, weight and %FM increased, and VO2peak decreased, during the same period. Training also prevented exercise-induced lipid peroxidation and/or inflammation in overweight/obese girls (F2-Isop, ROOH, ox-LDL, MPO). In addition, in the trained overweight/obese group, exercise-induced changes in ROOH, ox-LDL and F2-Isop were correlated with improvements in anthropometric parameters (waist-to-hip ratio, %FM and FFM). In conclusion aerobic training increased tolerance to exercise-induced oxidative stress in overweight/obese adolescent girls partly as a result of improved body composition.
Stacy D. Hunter, Mandeep S. Dhindsa, Emily Cunningham, Takashi Tarumi, Mohammed Alkatan, Nantinee Nualnim, and Hirofumi Tanaka
Background:
Obesity is associated with arterial stiffening and diminished quality of life. Bikram yoga may be a feasible alternative to traditional exercise among obese individuals. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Bikram yoga, a heated style of hatha yoga, on arterial stiffness in normal and overweight/obese adults.
Methods:
Forty-three (23 normal body mass index or BMI; 20 overweight/obese) apparently healthy participants completed an 8-week Bikram yoga intervention. Body composition was estimated via dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, arterial stiffness was measured via brachialankle pulse wave velocity, and health-related quality of life was assessed via RAND 36-Item Short Form survey at baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention.
Results:
After the intervention, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity decreased (P < .05) in overweight/obese participants while no such changes were observed in normal BMI participants. In the quality of life measures, emotional well-being improved (P < .05) in both groups, and general health improved (P < .05) only in the normal weight BMI group.
Conclusion:
Bikram yoga ameliorates arterial stiffness in overweight/obese adults and can positively impact quality of life regardless of BMI.
Paul Bernard Rukavina
norms. Stereotyped beliefs are activated, such as that individuals with overweight/obesity are lazy, unattractive, not good at sports, and lacking willpower, and these traits become linked to the labeled person. The individuals identified as overweight and obese are “separated” and experience a loss of
Charles F. Morgan, Allison R. Tsuchida, Michael William Beets, Ronald K. Hetzler, and Christopher D. Stickley
Background:
Physical activity guidelines for youth and adults include recommendations for moderate intensity activity to attain health benefits. Indirect calorimetry studies have consistently reported a 100 ste·min−1 threshold for moderate intensity walking in adults. No indirect calorimetry studies have investigated step-rate thresholds in children and therefore the primary purpose of the study was to determine preliminary step-rate thresholds for moderate physical activity walking in children.
Methods:
Oxygen consumption was measured at rest and used to determine 3 and 4 age-adjusted metabolic equivalents (A-AMETs) for 4 treadmill trials (self-selected, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 MPH). Two trained observers simultaneously counted children’s steps during each walking trial. Step-rate thresholds associated with moderate-intensity activity, defined as 3 and 4 A-AMETs, were determined using hierarchical linear modeling.
Results:
Regression analysis determined an overall step rate of 112 and 134 step·min-1 for 3 and 4 A-AMETs respectively. Body mass index (BMI) weight status and age were positively related to A-AMETs.
Conclusions:
We suggest age and BMI weight status specific recommendations that range from a low of 100 step·min-1 threshold (3 A-AMETs) for overweight/obese 11- to 12-year-olds to a high of 140 step·min-1 threshold (4 A-AMETs) for healthy weight 9- to 10-year-old children.
Robin DeWeese and Punam Ohri-Vachaspati
Background:
Active commuting to school (ACS) increases students’ daily physical activity, but associations between student weight and ACS are inconsistent. Few studies examining ACS and weight account for distance commuted. This study examines the association between students’ weight status and ACS, taking into account distance to school.
Methods:
In 2009–10 a random digit-dial household survey conducted in low-income minority cities collected information about ACS for 1 randomly selected school-going student per household. Parents provided measured heights and weights. Distance commuted was obtained using geocoded home and school addresses. Multivariate regression analyses assessed associations of ACS and distance commuted with weight status.
Results:
36.6% of students were overweight/obese; 47.2% engaged in ACS. Distance walked/biked to school was associated with 7% lower odds of overweight/obesity (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88– 0.99). Without distance commuted in the model, ACS was not associated with students’ weight status. Compared with no ACS, ACS greater than a half-mile was associated with 65% lower odds of a student being overweight/obese (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.16– 0.78); ACS less than a half-mile was not.
Conclusions:
ACS is significantly inversely associated with overweight/obesity among students who commute beyond a one-half mile threshold.
