TCD research: The ability of obese children to tolerate exercise is significantly reduced and their physical activity levels are well below normal, researchers from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) have found.
A study of 45 children attending a weight-reduction clinic at the National Children's Hospital, Tallaght, found that 80 per cent of girls and 65 per cent of boys expended less than the minimal recommended levels of energy - 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day for four days a week.
When their ability to tolerate exercise was assessed using a treadmill and compared with normal levels, 64 per cent of the girls and 75 per cent of the boys studied were unable to reach minimum levels of exercise. Almost one in five chidren stopped exercising because of pain in their knees or feet.
Researchers led by Juliette Hussey of the School of Physiotherapy at TCD report in the current issue of the Irish Medical Journal that 14 out of 20 boys examined walked to school while just 10 out of 25 girls did. And 70-76 per cent of the children spent two or more hours a day watching television.
All of the children studied were considered significantly obese, with an average body mass index (BMI) greater than 30.5. The children were aged six to 16.
There is a growing epidemic of obesity in Europe, with the incidence of obesity in the Republic growing by 30 per cent in the past four years. One in five Irish children are now overweight, with one in 20 classified as obese.
Ms Hussey and her colleagues at TCD noted that high levels of physical activity had been associated with a favourable cholesterol profile in children and adolescents.
"In terms of treatment, there is potential for increasing both fitness and activity levels in these children," Ms Hussey said. "By establishing healthy activities as children, there is an increased chance they will continue with these into adulthood."