 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The key to helping kids lose weight could come from the library.
In a new study out of Duke University, researchers found obese girls who read specific novels crafted to encourage a healthy lifestyle experienced a significant decrease in Body Mass Index (BMI) scores compared to girls who did not read the novels.
Text Continues Below
The book the girls read was called Lake Rescue, an age-appropriate novel including specific healthy lifestyle and weight management guidance, positive messages and strong role models. The book was published by Beacon Street Press and written with the help of pediatric experts.
Girls who read the book reduced their BMI scores an average of .71 percent, compared to an increase of .05 percent among girls who did not read the book. While BMI reduction attributed to the book is small, study authors say any reduction in BMI is encouraging.
This is the first prospective interventional study that found literature can have a positive impact on healthy lifestyle changes in young girls, Sarah Armstrong, M.D., director of Dukes Healthy Lifestyles Program, was quoted as saying.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 16 percent of children between the ages of six and 19 are overweight or obese. While there are many programs and measures in place to help control childhood obesity, many are ineffective, involve powerful medications or require surgery. Researchers say this easy, painless and low cost option is a welcome addition to a world where there arent a lot of alternatives.
SOURCE: Presented at the Obesity Societys Annual Scientific Meeting in Phoenix, Ariz., October 3-7, 2008
Sign up for a free weekly e-mail on Medical Breakthroughs called First to Know by clicking here.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
|
.gif)
