Therapies and Prevention
The Role of Physical Activity in Pediatric Obesity

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Benefits of physical activity in children and adolescents

Decreased physical activity in today’s youth is a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic in the United States. Obesity has a negative impact on physical health and quality of life in children and adolescents. Chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome that were once only seen in adults are becoming increasingly common in children. Obesity in children is also linked to poor academic performance, poor self-esteem, and negative social consequences, such as teasing by

Current levels of physical activity in children and adolescents

It is recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity of sufficient intensity to increase their heart rate each day (see next section for specific recommendations by various public health organizations). Many children are not meeting this recommendation, and physical activity declines as children get older.57 According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS), 18.4% of youth in grades 9 through 12 participated in 60 minutes of physical activity per day on

Recommendations for physical activity in children and adolescents

Recommendations for amounts of physical activity for children have been made by several organizations, including the CDC,60 the American Heart Association (AHA),59 and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).59 Very young children (toddlers to 5 years of age) should have up to 120 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day, with 60 minutes of it as structured activity and 60 minutes as unstructured or free play.61 Older children and adolescents

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