Washington: Contrary to the popular belief, a recent research has found that decrease in physical activity may not be a factor in increased obesity rates among adolescents.
According to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, decreased physical activity may have little to do with the recent spike in obesity rates among adolescents.
Prompted by growing concern that the obesity rate is increasing due to less physical activity because of too much TV viewing and other sedentary behaviours, the team examined the patterns and time trends in physical activity and sedentary behaviours among US adolescents, journal Obesity Reviews reported.
"Although only one third of US adolescents met the recommended levels of physical activity, there is no clear evidence they had become less active over the past decade
while the prevalence of obesity continued to rise," said Youfa Wang, who led the study.
Wang said, "During the recent decade, teenagers had greater access to TV, but fewer of them watched TV for three or more hours per day and daily physical education attendance rates improved along with their engagement in physical activity, however, there are considerable differences in the patterns by age, sex and ethnicity".
Bureau Report
