Burning Fat

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What kind of exercise is most effective for burning fat in children? A new study delivers an objective answer. It’s no secret that childhood obesity has become a major problem, nor that physical activity is an important tool for preventing and reversing weight problems. As far as I know, a recent French study is the first study to measure the effect of different intensities of exercise in both lean and obese children. The kids in the study were pubescent boys with an average age of twelve. They worked out on an exercise cycle at varying intensities and the actual amount of fat they burned at each level was measured. The results were published online April 2, 2008 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. For the lean boys, maximum fat burning (fat max) measured in mg of fat burned per minute (total mg, not just percent of calories burned in fat) came when exercising at 60 percent respiratory capacity. The obese boys, though, burned very little fat at that level of exercise – it was hardly better than not exercising at all. Their peak fat burning came at 30 to 50 percent capacity. It appears that increasing the amount of time spent in low-intensity aerobic activities such as walking, biking, and casual outdoor play may be a valuable way to reduce fat in those who are already obese, while more strenuous activity, such as running, basketball, or soccer, may be the best way to burn fat and to prevent obesity in those who do not yet have a weight problem.


Zunquin G, Theunynk D, Sesboue B, Arhan P, and Bougle D. Comparison of fat oxidation during exercise between lean and obese pubertal boys: clinical implications BJSM Published Online First: 2 April 2008. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2007.044529
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Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2012-03-26 00:34.

Doctors are seeing children with Rickets again ...

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I think it is a bit of both. When I was at school, a miminum of 2 hours PE was incorporated into the curriculum, even if you are doing your GCSEs, and PE was not a subject you picked as an option, you had to do 2 x 1.5 hour sessions a week. When my younger cousin was doing her GCSEs 2 years ago, it was an optional thing, and she spent that time sitting on her bum at home. It doesn't help either when the school cooks do not cook as much anymore, merely reheat stuff.My mother raised my brother and myself on her own and on a meagre income, she often took either one of us with her, on Saturday, to Walthamstow Market (it was a half hour walk from my crummy council estate). We took an interest in the fruit and veg the guys were putting into the paper bags, and when it came to the supermarket, my bro and I had a friendly competition to find the cheapest but healthiest item which was going to be for dinner that night. I think that was half the reason she allowed us to tag along ;o) but, she did not allow my brother or me to dictate our dinners (when we had them), we only had one choice and it was either on our plate, or we go hungry. She cannot understand why one of my aunts would cook a different meal for each of her children, and then something else for herself she is the mother, she should decide on dinner not the kids (who would be more than happy to live off of burger and chips, or pizza 365 days a year). The problem at home, is that most parents dare not leave their kiddies out of their sight to go outside in the (somewhat) fresh air and play, as they are told that a paedophile is on every corner and will snatch them away, and that is only when play areas or dirt tracks are not being sold on for redevelopment (it was heartbreaking going through my old council estate to see that the play area I spent a lot of my school holidays as a child has been turned into a car park!)We are living in a time when doctors are seeing children with Rickets again, this is a disease which has hardly been seen in the UK for nearly 80 years! Both have a part to play, people must be very naive (or extremely stupid) not to make a link between an increasing sedentary childhood, increasing consumption in what I can only call crap , and lack of focus on physical education as a child, and their expanding waistlines!