A new study published by the British Medical Journal challenges the common assumption that increased physical activity is enough to curb childhood obesity. Researchers at the University of Glasgow tested the idea on 545 preschool children attending 36 nurseries in Glasgow, a city where poor diets and sedentary habits are widespread.
Half the children were assigned three 30-minute exercise sessions per week, while the rest continued their normal routines. Parents of children in the exercise group also received guidance on encouraging active play and limiting television time, though dietary changes were not addressed.
After six and 12 months, doctors measured each child's body mass index. Although children in the exercise group showed improved physical agility, their BMI was nearly identical to that of children in the control group.
Lead author John Reilly, a pediatric energy metabolism professor at Glasgow, concluded that fighting childhood obesity requires action on multiple fronts, with diet playing a central role alongside support from schools, families, and communities.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than one billion people worldwide are overweight, surpassing the 800 million who are undernourished. Within the European Union alone, five million children are now classified as obese, a trend linked to high-calorie diets, constant snacking, inactivity, and possible genetic factors.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.