School physical activity didn't do a thing for me. I only pushed away from it as I got bigger, and more so if I felt targeted. You want me to play DODGE BALL? Fck you. ThosePresidential Physical Fitness Test thingies? (Do they still do this?) Chin-ups? NEVER ONCE. Showing your flexibility by reaching between your legs? A little. I remember the words painted on the gymnasium walls.
"AGILITY!"
"ENDURANCE!"
Reading those as we were asked to run laps. "I HAVE ENDURANCE. Can we quit now?"
In sixth grade I had asado-masochisticteacher. He was one to throw chalk board erasers at kids in the class, and make us do laps for "fun" in addition to our gym classes. Nice guy. Really. O-o
In fact I failed physical education in high school (more than once) because I found ways to get out of being involved or being actually there. I had one gym teacher actually tell me that he passed me with a "D" just because he didn't want to see my face in the class again. I had tore-takesophomore physical education class in senior year to GRADUATE. My day went a little like this: Re-take of gym, math, English a couple times a week. (I think that's all I had that year, because I left early for work/study for marketing & management.)
Anyway, I have no real point other than, studies show exercise does not help kids lose weight. While it may have positive health benefits, kids remain the same size.
Effect of school-based physical activity interventions on body mass index in children: a meta-analysis
kharris2@cw.bc.ca
Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate. Many local governments have enacted policies to increase physical activity in schools as a way to combat childhood obesity. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of school-based physical activity interventions on body mass index (BMI) in children.
Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to September 2008. We also hand-searched relevant journals and article reference lists. We included randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials that had objective data for BMI from before and after the intervention, that involved school-based physical activity interventions and that lasted for a minimum of 6 months.
Results: Of 398 potentially relevant articles that we identified, 18 studies involving 18 141 children met the inclusion criteria. The participants were primarily elementary school children. The study duration ranged from 6 months to 3 years. In 15 of these 18 studies, there was some type of co-intervention. Meta-analysis showed that BMI did not improve with physical activity interventions (weighted mean difference –0.05 kg/m 2, 95% confidence interval –0.19 to 0.10). We found no consistent changes in other measures of body composition.
Interpretation: School-based physical activity interventions did not improve BMI, although they had other beneficial health effects. Current population-based policies that mandate increased physical activity in schools are unlikely to have a significant effect on the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144467.php
In a related comment, Dr. Louise Baur, University of Sydney, Australia says that "no simple or short-term changes, such as a physical activity intervention for a limited length of time in the school curriculum, can be expected to influence the prevalence of obesity."
As an alternative, long-standing multilevel methods may have an impact, including healthy school meals, subsidies on fruits and vegetables for schools and daycares. "Recent evidence suggesting that the obesity prevalence rates in France plateaued following a range of multilevel interventions provides a glimmer of hope for other countries," she writes.
Running laps in sixth grade didn't cut it.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Study: Body Mass Index Does Not Improve When Practicing School-Based Physical Activity
School physical activity didn't do a thing for me. I only pushed away from it as I got bigger, and more so if I felt targeted. You want me to play DODGE BALL? Fck you. ThosePresidential Physical Fitness Test thingies? (Do they still do this?) Chin-ups? NEVER ONCE. Showing your flexibility by reaching between your legs? A little. I remember the words painted on the gymnasium walls.
"AGILITY!"
"ENDURANCE!"
Reading those as we were asked to run laps. "I HAVE ENDURANCE. Can we quit now?"
In sixth grade I had asado-masochisticteacher. He was one to throw chalk board erasers at kids in the class, and make us do laps for "fun" in addition to our gym classes. Nice guy. Really. O-o
In fact I failed physical education in high school (more than once) because I found ways to get out of being involved or being actually there. I had one gym teacher actually tell me that he passed me with a "D" just because he didn't want to see my face in the class again. I had tore-takesophomore physical education class in senior year to GRADUATE. My day went a little like this: Re-take of gym, math, English a couple times a week. (I think that's all I had that year, because I left early for work/study for marketing & management.)
Anyway, I have no real point other than, studies show exercise does not help kids lose weight. While it may have positive health benefits, kids remain the same size.
Effect of school-based physical activity interventions on body mass index in children: a meta-analysis
kharris2@cw.bc.ca
Background: The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate. Many local governments have enacted policies to increase physical activity in schools as a way to combat childhood obesity. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of school-based physical activity interventions on body mass index (BMI) in children.
Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to September 2008. We also hand-searched relevant journals and article reference lists. We included randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials that had objective data for BMI from before and after the intervention, that involved school-based physical activity interventions and that lasted for a minimum of 6 months.
Results: Of 398 potentially relevant articles that we identified, 18 studies involving 18 141 children met the inclusion criteria. The participants were primarily elementary school children. The study duration ranged from 6 months to 3 years. In 15 of these 18 studies, there was some type of co-intervention. Meta-analysis showed that BMI did not improve with physical activity interventions (weighted mean difference –0.05 kg/m 2, 95% confidence interval –0.19 to 0.10). We found no consistent changes in other measures of body composition.
In a related comment, Dr. Louise Baur, University of Sydney, Australia says that "no simple or short-term changes, such as a physical activity intervention for a limited length of time in the school curriculum, can be expected to influence the prevalence of obesity."
As an alternative, long-standing multilevel methods may have an impact, including healthy school meals, subsidies on fruits and vegetables for schools and daycares. "Recent evidence suggesting that the obesity prevalence rates in France plateaued following a range of multilevel interventions provides a glimmer of hope for other countries," she writes.
Running laps in sixth grade didn't cut it.