Making School Less Sedentary Helps Fight Childhood Obesity

Adding a little movement to math or science class may help fight childhood obesity.

Researchers say simple things like having kids stand while speaking or walk during a lecture are easy and effective ways to improve their health.

It’s a new approach called Active Movement that was tested at 30 elementary schools in the UK.

Teachers at 26 of the schools were trained to integrate low-level physical activity into their curriculum, while the remaining instructors were asked to continue as normal.

After 3 terms, students who engaged in Active Movement saw an 8% drop in their waist-to-height ratio, a measurement that assesses body fat and other obesity risk factors.

Children with a higher baseline waist-to-height ratio showed the greatest improvement.

The senior author says being less sedentary in school has major health benefits for all children.

He says, “…This method was effective regardless of the child’s socio-economic status, age or gender. It is something that schools could introduce without needing to invest heavily in equipment or staff, and everyone will benefit.”