Migrant Children and Obesity

Obesity is and issue that affects more than just the individual. A high rate of obesity adds significant cost of our national health care bill, a cost that we all share whether we like it or not.

Apparently because of a combination of poverty, culture and lack of educational opportunities, migrant children are at an increased risk of obesity. A new study is showing that a program teaching multiple lifestyle changes to predominantly migrant preschoolers and their parents helps the children reduce body fat and improve fitness. In the United States, about 14 percent of children ages 2 to 5 years are obese, this rate only increases as children age.

The study's lead author Jardena Puder, MD is a senior resident at the University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. The public health program in this study attempted to reduce the risk of obesity among preschool children from areas of Switzerland with high migrant populations. Specifically, it encouraged the children to increase their physical activity, improve nutrition, get more sleep and reduce audiovisual media use, especially TV watching. Excessive media use can contribute to lack of physical activity, and insufficient sleep in early life may play a role in childhood obesity, according to the authors.

The program included information materials for teachers and parents as well as two informational and discussion evenings for parents. Children received structured lessons from the regular teachers about physical activity, nutrition, media use and sleep.
In addition, the school environment was adapted, such as by adding a climbing wall. "This gave unstructured movement an automatic place within school," Puder said.

Before and after completion of the program, the researchers evaluated numerous measures, including overall fitness on an obstacle course and aerobic fitness. Compared with the control group, the group of children who participated in the program had significantly improved overall and aerobic fitness, according to the abstract. Additionally, the intervention group had greater reductions in total and percent of body fat, waist size and media use. They also improved more than controls in "some aspects of nutritional behavior," Puder said.

For many of us, this is not news, but it does underscore our present situation and hopefully sharing studies like this will show such groups as parents, school administrators and public health officials the value of proactive steps to improve our children’s health. Besides the suffering and decreased enjoyment of life, fellow members of our society who are unfit and unhealthy affect our national economy and the health of our national healthcare system.

LouAnn Good
Fitness Together Fort Myers