Indoor games prevent childhood obesity, says new research

Children who have access to indoor play equipment enjoy substantial health benefits - including less weight gain - compared to children who do not have this benefit, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

“We wanted to see if the simple act of playing - that is, moderate physical exertion, without necessarily inducing a large increase in heart rate - was enough to get children some kind of protective effect against the gain in heart rate, weight,” says Caroline Fitzpatrick, a research member of the PERFORM Center, assistant professor of social science at the Université Sainte-Anne and lead author of the study.

She and her collaborators analyzed data on 512 students at risk of obesity (that is, one or both par- ents are obese), grouped into 296 elementary schools in the Montreal area.

The researchers found that children enrolled in schools with the most varied indoor play environments had lower body fat and smaller waistlines than children in schools where play was the least varied.

However, cultural, social and other factors reduce the time spent on physical activity for children at school and at home, the study found.

Schools spend fewer hours per day on physical activity, parents are increasingly concerned about the risk of injury, and there is less and less space for play. In addition, there is the persistent attraction of screen devices, such as television, smart phones and tablets, which also take up time and attention, the study said.

Investing in simple indoor playground equipment, such as skateboards, hoops, trampolines, unicycles, juggling pins, devil sticks and climbing walls, could a very cost-effective way to mitigate long-term health problems, the researchers said.