Researchers show just five months of exercise can reduce fat and cardiovascular risk in obese children

A new study has shown the impact that exercise can have on reducing fat and cardiovascular risk in children living with obesity.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, showed that the regular physical exercise the children undertook during a five-month programme enabled them to reduce their cardiometabolic risk, LDL cholesterol, body mass index, fat mass and visceral fat, and to improve their aerobic capacity.

It was carried out by researchers from the University of Granada’s Department of Physical Education and Sports, in collaboration with paediatricians from the Paediatric Endocrinology Unit of the "Virgen de las Nieves" University Hospital in Granada and external national and international partners.

Francisco B Ortega, a professor at the UGR's Department of Physical Education and Sports and principal investigator of the project, said: “One of the most striking findings is that almost 80 per cent of the children who completed the physical exercise programme achieved a meaningful reduction in the amount of total fat.”

Jairo H. Migueles, a member of the Department of Physical Education and Sports at the UGR and one of the principal investigators of the study, added: “In addition, we found that a significant number of schoolchildren at a high risk of metabolic syndrome were able to move out of this risk group as a result of following the physical exercise programme.

“A similar trend was observed in both boys and girls who went from poor physical fitness to optimal physical fitness, based on aerobic capacity.”

The physical exercise programme undertaken in the study was based on group games involving simple activities such as running on an outdoor track and moderate to high intensity strength exercises, without any advanced equipment.

In other words, the programme was carried out in conditions similar to those found in the school environment or in after-school activities, meaning the programme is socially transferable to an everyday context.

Cristina Cadenas Sánchez, another researcher who coordinated the study, said: “This study shows the importance of including physical activity in the treatment of childhood obesity and preventing the development of metabolic problems.”

The prevalence of excess weight and obesity in children has increased in recent decades and has become a global health concern.

Excess weight affects one in three children worldwide and children with obesity face a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, as well as experiencing significant functional limitations that will affect their quality of life.