Developing Physically Active and Sporty Kids - Benefits and Barriers
Top Contributors - Jess Bell, Aminat Abolade, Wanda van Niekerk, Kim Jackson, Cindy John-Chu, Olajumoke Ogunleye, Ewa Jaraczewska, Naomi O'Reilly and Tarina van der Stockt
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Physical activity is distinct from exercise. Physical activity refers to any movement, such as walking, cycling, wheeling, sports, active recreation and play. It can be enjoyed by individuals of any skill level.[1]
Exercise is a specific subcategory of physical activity. It is planned, structured, repetitive and purposeful, and it ultimately aims to improve or maintain physical fitness.[2]
Physical activity improves children’s health and reduces risk factors for poor health.[3]
Obesity[edit | edit source]
Since 1997, the World Health Organization (WHO) has considered obesity a major public health problem and a global epidemic.[4] The prevalence of obesity has increased significantly over the last 40 years and it is predicted that, if this trend continues, the majority of adults will be overweight or obese by 2030.[4]
Globally, 38.3 million children under the age of 5 (or 5.6 percent) are considered obese.[5]
- Since 2000, the number of children aged under 5 who are overweight has increased by nearly 24 percent in Africa[6]
- In 2019, almost half of all children under 5 who were overweight or obese lived in Asia[6]
- The longer children are overweight or obese, the more likely they will be obese when they are adults[5]
- In South Africa, childhood obesity may be related to cultural beliefs and practices[7]
- In some settings, there can be a double burden of malnutrition:[6]
- This means that while a country might continue to experience problems of undernutrition and communicable diseases, it also experiences an increase in non-communicable diseases associated with obesity, particularly in urban centres
- Children in low- and middle-income countries are more likely to be:[6]
- Vulnerable to inadequate pre-natal, infant and young child nutrition
- Exposed to diets that are micronutrient-deficient, energy-dense, but which include high-sugar / high energy foods
- These conditions, combined with a lack of physical activity, have led to increased obesity in these children
- There is also an association between socioeconomic status and adiposity (i.e. fat levels),[8] with obesity more common in low-income groups[3]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ World Health Organization. Physical activity. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/physical-activity (accessed 4 October 2021).
- ↑ Caspersen CJ, Powell KE, Christenson GM. Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Rep. 1985;100(2):126-31.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Prowse T. Developing Fit and Sporty Kids - Physical Activity, Obesity, Cognition and Motor Ability Course. Physioplus, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Haththotuwa RN, Wijeyaratne CN, Senarath U, Chapter 1 - Worldwide epidemic of obesity. In: Mahmood TA, Arulkumaran S, Chervenak FA editors. Obesity and Obstetrics (Second Edition). Elsevier, 2020. p3-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Narzisi K, Simons J. Interventions that prevent or reduce obesity in children from birth to five years of age: A systematic review. Journal of Child Health Care. 2021;25(2):320-34.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight (accessed 4 October 2021).
- ↑ Mamabolo RL, Alberts M, Steyn NP, Delemarre-van de Waal HA, Levitt NS. Prevalence and determinants of stunting and overweight in 3-year-old black South African children residing in the Central Region of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Public Health Nutr. 2005;8(5):501-8.
- ↑ Vazquez CE, Cubbin C. Socioeconomic status and childhood obesity: a review of literature from the past decade to inform intervention research. Curr Obes Rep . 2020;9:562–70.
