Effects of After School Physical Activity Intervention to Reduce Obesity Among Indian Adolescent Boys.

P P Apte^* and S Rao

Biometry and Nutrition Group, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune 411 004, India.

Background: Obesity is increasing rapidly in developing countries undergoing rapid nutritional transition. This transition has affected the lifestyle with a reduction in the energy expenditure along with an increase in energy intake. Therefore, obesity has no longer remained a Western problem alone. However, in India little attention is paid towards adolescent obesity until recently.

Subjects & methods: Boys (n=229) covering the age 9-15 years were included. Measurements at baseline and follow-up included weight, height, body fat %, skin fold thickness at four sites, waist circumference and blood pressure. After school intervention consisted of five 60 minutes sessions per week. After one academic year the effect of physical activity intervention on adiposity was evaluated.

Results: Subjects with high participation in daily physical program of the school showed significant reduction in body fat (1.0 %), skin fold thickness at triceps (1.3mm) and biceps (1.2mm) as compared to their baseline measurement. Further the prevalence of overweight among high participation group showed significant decrease compared to low participation group. More importantly there was a significant reduction in all three indicators of central adiposity highlighting the beneficial effect of physical activity as an intervention in tackling the overall as well as central adiposity among adolescents. Our observation thus highlights the fact that though it may be difficult to administer dietary intervention in growing children there is a potential in administrating physical activity program for at least 50 minutes/ day for school children for combating adolescent obesity.

Conclusion: Findings from the current study brings out for the first time highlights potential benefits of physical activity and the concern for introducing it into the curriculum on a daily basis rather than weekly basis which is currently prevalent in all the schools for better health of adolescents.

school activity,Physical activity,intervention,Indian Adolescents

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