Light Activity to Combat Obesity in Youth
Light, not moderate, physical activity may reverse the problem of overweight youth.
Daily light physical activity among adolescents may prevent weight gain associated with major health risks in adulthood, according to findings printed in Nature Communications (2023; doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43316-w). The 13-year longitudinal study with 6,059 international child participants, showed that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was up to ten times less effective than light physical activity in decreasing body fat. The real problem is increased sedentary time, which mild activity throughout the day combats more effectively than dedicated workout time.
โThese new findings strongly emphasize that light physical activity may be an unsung hero in preventing fat mass obesity from early life,โ says lead study author Andrew O. Agbaje, MD, MPH, honorary research fellow from University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.
โIt is about time the world replace the mantra of โan average of 60 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activityโ with โat least 3 hours a day of light physical activityโ. Light physical activity appears to be the antidote to the catastrophic effect of sedentary time in the young population.โ
See also: Strength Training for Overweight Youth
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
