Syracuse (WSYR-TV/ABC-TV) - According to a new study, time spent in gym class is an even more important factor in the war against childhood obesity than people realized.
While it was common knowledge that exercise is important, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that just 20 minutes of exercise per day can reduce the child’s risk of type 2 diabetes – one of the more feared results of obesity.
Researchers divided 222 overweight and obese children into three groups:
- A 40-minute exercise group
- A 20-minute exercise group
- A control group of “usual physical activity"
The groups were bused to a gym for 10 to 15 weeks of exercise.
The study found that the 40-minute and 20-minute groups had the reduced insulin resistance and improved fitness at about the same level.
Both groups reduced their overall fat, the 40-minute group more than the 20-minute group.
But the study shows that just 20 minutes of exercise a day leads to significant health improvements.
