Evaluation of an eight week modified exercise program for overweight children

The incidence of overweight and obesity amongst Australian children is high and steadily increasing. Reasons offered for this trend in childhood obesity include increase in availability of foods high in fat and decreased opportunity to participate in regular exercise. Recent research is bringing light to the difficulties overweight children have participating in daily living tasks. These difficulties are a result of the excess weight carried by these children and include a decreased range of motion, impaired balance and co-ordination and increased energy expenditure during daily tasks. A solution for combating this increase in childhood obesity, may be to provide children with exercise programs and environments that are more suited to their anthropometric shape, physiological ability to exercise and confidence. These programs could stem from the traditional programs provided within school environments, but would include specific modifications that would enable all children to participate at manageable levels.