Jul 12 2010

EarlyBird research claims physical inactivity doesn’t cause child obesity – MEND responds

Dr Duncan Radley, Research Manager at MEND, a social enterprise that provides free, afterschool healthy lifestyle programmes for families, comments on the EarlyBird study on physical inactivity. He says:

“The EarlyBird team’s research is very interesting and we welcome this focus on the approaches to tackling childhood obesity during the inaugural National Childhood Obesity Week.

“The study was conducted from a relatively small sample, and we would welcome further investigation into the role physical activity plays in the development of childhood obesity. These findings cannot provide a concrete case against physical activity.

“Also, it is extremely important to remember the considerable physical and social benefits of participation in physical activity beyond simply weight management.   

“At MEND, we believe there needs to be a holistic approach to developing lifelong healthy habits on the ground, and reversing current trends in childhood obesity. The benefits of physical activity to a child’s health are widely recognised and this, combined with eating the right foods and making positive behaviour changes, can make a real difference to families’ lives.”

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