Youth obesity - Prevent obesity with sports

Youth obesity is a growing problem in North America with a lack of exercise being a major factor along with poor eating habits. Keeping kids active is one of the recommendations from a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Youth obesity statistics were based on self reported height and weight to calculate BMI. Of the students surveyed, 29% were overweight/obese, and 13% were obese.

Of the activities studied, only the people who played on sports teams were found to have an inverse relationship between overweight/obesity and obesity. Those who played at least three sports teams were 27% less likely to be overweight/obese and 39% less likely to be obese when compared to those who did not play on a team. Over 70% of students had played at least one sport with 35% playing at least three.

Walking and biking to school was found that students 33% less likely to be obese, but with only 3.5 days of operation, it had little effect on the overweight / obesity. Stay active during a trip each day has health benefits, but must be more intense and more frequent to make a real difference.

Researchers estimate that youth obesity would decrease by 26.1% and overweight/obesity levels would drop by 10.6% simply by having students play at least two sports teams per year.

The researchers said that "The increased opportunities for all young people, regardless of  athletic ability, to participate in sports should be a priority for youth obesity prevention."