Exercise lowers heart risk of fat children

Exercise program after a short time with a positive effect on the health of obese children

05/04/2013

Obese children benefit from exercise programs after a short time. The „Kilos tumble“ and „also other risk factors for cardiovascular disease“ are significantly reduced, according to the latest press release of the German Cardiac Society (DKG), citing a study from Leipzig and Bad Frankenhausen.

The results of the current study were presented at the 79th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Cardiology in Mannheim „Seventy-five overweight adolescents participated in a four- to six-week program consisting of daily workouts (including running, swimming, and sports games), diets, and education“, reports the DKG. The movement program has already shown after this short duration extremely positive effect, so the conclusion of the study authors.

Overweight children with special health risks
Obesity is commonly associated with increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (eg, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, hypertension) later in life. In addition, obesity often has negative effects on bones and joints. Many overweight people suffer from knee pain. Hip pain is also associated with obesity. Obese children are particularly vulnerable here in many ways.

Body weight and heart risk factors significantly reduced
The study, which has just been published, has therefore examined whether regular exercise can counteract the negative consequences of being overweight for children's health in the short term. They left the 57 overweight children „with an average age of 12.6 years and an average body mass index (BMI) of 29.5“ Participate in a maximum of six weeks exercise training and then check the effect on the weight and the cardiovascular risk factors in the adolescents. „The program reduced inflammatory processes and the secretion of obesity-associated adipocytokines and could contribute to the regeneration of early vascular damage in childhood adiposity“, The DKG quotes the conclusion of the study authors.

Numerous positive effects of exercise training
According to the German Society of Cardiology, the average weight of children fell from 75.9 to 71.2 kg after the exercise program. In addition, too „other cardiac risk factors such as insulin resistance (sugar peak in the oral glucose tolerance test dropped from an average of 765 to an average of 622) or cholesterol levels (LDL decreased from an average of 2.3 to an average of 1.8; total cholesterol dropped from an average of 4 to an average of 3.4)“ showed a clearly positive development. The regular exercise also leads to a lowering of the highly sensitive C-reactive protein, which serves as a marker of cardiovascular risk. The values ​​averaged 1.3 milligrams per liter (from 2.5 mg / L to 1.2 mg / L). Furthermore, the values ​​of various adipocytokines have significantly reduced, according to the DKG.

How can obese children be reached with exercise programs??
The current study from Leipzig and Bad Frankenhausen underlines again how important regular exercise, a balanced diet and education for the future health of overweight children. But this was already known from previous studies. Rather, the question seems to be how to best reach overweight children. The current study is suitable as an argument for the preparation and financing of short-term therapeutic offers, which extend over a period of only four to six weeks. (Fp)

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Picture: CFalk