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Preventing Obesity 201
Family meals and planned snacks are preferable
to allowing unplanned snacking and grazing
throughout the day as unplanned snacks tend to
include higher energy, lower nutrient foods than
planned meals and snacks.
Physical activity
Physical activity accounts for about 25–35 per cent
of children’s energy expenditure (Ball et al. 2001).
When toddlers and preschool children are
encouraged and given the opportunities for active
play they will develop coordination and skills that
will allow them to enjoy sport as they get older. Most
preschool children do not need encouragement for
active play but opportunities depend on their
housing situation and the local environment.
As children get older they may need more
motivation to take part in physical activity.
The Department of Health (2011) now
recommends that:
●● children under 5 years are physically active for
at least three hours each day. Short periods of
activity can be spread out over the day
●● children 5–18 years should engage in moderate
to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least
60 minutes and up to several hours every day
●● vigorous intensity activities, including those
that strengthen muscle and bone, should be
incorporated at least three days a week.
Studies show that physical activity tends to
decrease in girls after the age of 10–12 years,
whereas boys remain more active although activity
levels are lower in those aged 15–18 than in 11–14
year olds. Girls aged 15–18 years are the least active. aged 3 and over the American Academy of Pediatrics
Few adolescents achieve the recommended
60 minutes or more of physical activity of at least
moderate intensity. In 2004 a study found that
among 15 year olds only 29 per cent of girls and 48
per cent of boys in England and 18 per cent of girls
and 40 per cent of boys in Wales achieved this on
five occasions per week (Currie et al. 2004).
Adolescents cite greater embarrassment and
self-consciousness about their bodies – along with
lack of time – as barriers to physical activity.
The role of physical activity in obesity prevention
remains controversial, as a recent UK study reports
that when children become overweight they reduce
their activity and that inactivity is less implicated in
causing obesity than a high energy intake through
foods (Metcalf et al. 2011).
Some suggested activities that can contribute
towards the recommended 60 minutes of daily
activity include:
Moderate-intensity activities:
• B risk walking
• S wimming
• C ycling
• D ancing
• P layground games
• G ymnastics
• T rampolining
• H orse riding
• M ost sports including rounders, cricket,
football, rugby, tennis
Vigorous-intensity activities that
enhance strength:
• Climbing
• Skipping
• Jumping
• Resistance exercises
Limiting sedentary behaviour
The same Department of Health guidelines
recommend that all children and young people
should minimize the amount of time spent being
sedentary (sitting) for extended periods. In the
United States and elsewhere watching television is
not recommended for the under-twos, and for those
recommends no more than two hours per day in
sedentary behaviours such as TV viewing. A recent
literature review found that video games and
computers do not represent such a high risk
compared to watching TV (Rey-López et al. 2008).