Diet and exercise changes may be best to help kids with excess tummy fat

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-04-12 01:00

Australia; NSW

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Kids with excess fat in the abdominal area, known as central obesity, are likely to benefit from combining dietary changes with physical activity, according to Australian research. The authors say central obesity is a more serious form of obesity, and addressing it during childhood offers lifelong health benefits. They conducted an analysis to pool together previous research looking at various ways of addressing childhood central obesity and found that combining dietary and physical activity interventions was linked with significantly lower central obesity. They also found some trials of behavioral interventions, such as education to reduce unhealthy snacks, increase fruit and vegetable intake, and limit screen time, also significantly reduced central obesity.