With pediatric obesity becoming common and children developing type 2 diabetes and other obesity- related complications at an earlier age, it is critical that we understand the factors that cause excess weight gain in children. Low levels of physical activity or sedentariness appear to be important in adult obesity. We have demonstrated that obese adults sit for 164 more minutes per day compared to lean adults. Posture allocation did not change when obese adults lost weight or when lean adults gained weight. Thus posture allocation may be biologically determined and play a role in human obesity. What is the role of posture allocation in pediatric obesity? That is the primary objective of this application. We will also evaluate whether decreased television-watching could impact a child's sitting time. In this application, we intend to investigate posture allocation and NEAT in pediatric obesity using valid instruments developed in our laboratory.
Specific aim 1 is to evaluate posture allocation and the components of NEAT in lean and obese 8-12 year old prepubescent children. The primary hypothesis is that obese prepubescent 8-12 year old children stand for significantly less time in a day compared to lean prepubescent 8-12 year old children living in a similar environment.
Specific aim 2 is to evaluate the impact of a novel intervention on posture allocation in lean and obese 8-12 year old prepubescent children. We will examine the impact of television removal on posture allocation in lean and obese children. The primary hypothesis is that lean and obese prepubescent children will stand for significantly more minutes per day after removal of television from the home. Together, these novel studies will provide insight into the role of sedentariness in the pathogenesis of pediatric obesity. ? ? ?
| Mitre, Naim; Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine; Foster, Randal et al. (2009) Pedometer accuracy for children: can we recommend them for our obese population? Pediatrics 123:e127-31 |
| Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine; Foster, Randal C; McCrady, Shelly K et al. (2008) Changing the school environment to increase physical activity in children. Obesity (Silver Spring) 16:1849-53 |
