More on obesity - physical education for all

We often hear of the demise of the physical education class in primary and secondary schools. Simple changes of a few extra hours per week of physical activity can really make a difference to obesity levels. Kuhr P et al. (Acta Paediatrica 2019. https://ift.tt/2WuZgFW) evaluated the effect of increasing physical education lessons from 1.5 to 4.5 hours/week for 5 years had on children's weight status. The overall aim of this study was to determine the health effects of increased physical education on children who took part in age-appropriate physical education in government-funded schools in the municipality of Svendborg. They examined the impact of this exercise regimen on the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumferences in children aged 5-11 years at inclusion between 2008 and 2013. In this matched, controlled, prospective longitudinal study, there were six intervention schools in Svendborg, Denmark and included 750 children. Four matched control...

from Archives of Disease in Childhood current issue https://ift.tt/37mgtX3