A recent study conducted in Spain and led by an Australian author has found that an exercise program can improve the health of overweight or obese children.

The program consisted of 3-5 sessions per week of aerobic and resistance training for a duration of 20 weeks.

The study focused on various health measures, including fitness levels, body composition, and indicators of risk for diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The results showed significant improvements in fitness and body fat composition among the participants.

However, the study did not find any noticeable improvement in the mental health of the children. The authors of the study suggest that this could be because most of the children already had a healthy mental status at the beginning of the trial.

The Bottom Line: An exercise program that combines aerobic and resistance training can have a positive impact on the physical health of overweight or obese children but may not have the same effect on their mental health.

Detailed Explanation:

The study involved a small sample size of overweight or obese children. Over a period of 20 weeks, the children participated in 3-5 sessions per week of aerobic and resistance training. The goal was to assess the impact of this exercise program on their overall health, including both physical and mental aspects.

The results of the study showed significant improvements in the participants’ fitness levels and body composition. The children became fitter and experienced a reduction in body fat. These findings are important, as increased fitness levels and lower body fat are associated with a decreased risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

However, when it came to mental health, the study did not find any significant improvements. This was somewhat surprising, as exercise is known to have positive effects on mental well-being. The authors suggest that the reason for this lack of improvement could be that most of the children already had a healthy mental status at the beginning of the trial. It’s possible that the exercise program had a more significant impact on those who had mental health issues to begin with.

While the study is promising in terms of the physical benefits of exercise for overweight or obese children, it does raise some questions about the effects on mental health. Further research is needed to explore this aspect in more detail and to determine how exercise can be optimized to have a positive impact on mental well-being as well.

Key Points:

– An exercise program consisting of aerobic and resistance training can improve the physical health of overweight or obese children.
– The program involved 3-5 sessions per week for a duration of 20 weeks.
– Participants experienced improvements in fitness levels and body composition.
– However, the study did not find any significant improvements in the mental health of the children.
– The authors suggest that this could be because most of the children already had a healthy mental status at the beginning of the trial.

Source Article: https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/exercise-program-for-overweight-kids-can-improve-their-health-but-not-their-mental-health