Obesity prevention for junior high school students: An intervention programme

Abstract

Background: Generally, schools are an important setting to provide programmes for obesity prevention for children because the vast majority of children attend school. This study investigates how an intervention programme in the school subject of Physical Education can help reduce obesity for junior high school students in combination with information on dietary and health matters in school and family. Materials and Methods: A quantitative study for junior high school students (N = 250) and a questionnaire were used as research methods. Results: A large number of the participants was found to be overweight (24.4) and the boys outnumbered the girls both in the group of overweight students and the group of obese students. Also, the parents' obesity is an important factor to whether a child will become obese or overweight as the bodymetrics of the parents showed that obese parents tend to have obese children. Finally, physical activity (for an extra two hours per week) and the dietary instructions that the parents give their children can reduce the number of overweight and obese students. Conclusion: Schools and physical activity are crucial factors for childhood obesity prevention strategies.