Do Youth Sports Prevent Pediatric Obesity? A Systematic Review and Commentary

Abstract

Sport is a promising setting for obesity prevention among youth, but little is known about whether it prevents obesity. We reviewed research comparing sport participants with non-participants on weight status, physical activity and diet. Among nineteen studies we found no clear pattern of association between body weight and sport participation. Among seventeen studies we found that sport participants are more physically active than those who do not participate. Seven studies examined the relationship between sport participation and diet and found that sport participation is associated with more fruit, vegetable and milk consumption, but also more fast food and sugar sweetened beverage consumption and greater overall calorie intake. It is unclear from these results whether sports programs, as currently offered, protect youth from becoming overweight or obese. Additional research may foster understanding about how sport, and youth sport settings, can help promote energy balance and healthy body weight.

O sobrepeso e a obesidade não estão associados com a pressão arterial elevada em jovens praticantes de esportes

“…A study that was conducted after the aforementioned review found that participation in sports teams protected adolescents from overweight and obesity 40 , a result which was contrary to that found in the present study. One aspect to be considered is that in both the systematic review 39 and in the present study, sports practice was considered on both the formal and informal levels, while in the study by Drake et al 40 sports practice was defined as as the amount of participation by young people in sports teams during the previous year. One characteristic that may explain the differences between these studies is that participation in sports teams is performed systematically and probably present higher volume of training.…”

“…However, a systematic review gathered together studies that examined the association between sports practice with overweight and obese, and the results were inconclusive 39 . A study that was conducted after the aforementioned review found that participation in sports teams protected adolescents from overweight and obesity 40 , a result which was contrary to that found in the present study.…”

Influence of Sports, Physical Education, and Active Commuting to School on Adolescent Weight Status

“…Sports participation has been inversely related to overweight/ obesity [1][2][3][4][5][6] with some variation by sport. 5,7 Elkins et al 7 found that football was associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity, whereas basketball, track, and cheerleading were associated with a decreased risk of overweight/obesity. After Title IX' s passage (1972), which banned gender discrimination in academic and athletic programs, sports participation among high school girls increased by 600%.…”

Adopting and implementing nutrition guidelines in recreational facilities: tensions between public health and corporate profitability

“…Current partnerships exist primarily for the purpose of generating profit and, as such, the majority of items available for sale within recreational facilities tend to be highly profitable, energy-dense, nutrient-poor items (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7) . Ready availability of unhealthy foods in recreational facilities and other sports venues may partially explain why a recent systematic review found that youth involved in sport consume more fast food, sugarsweetened beverages and energy, and have a similar weight status as non-participants (8) . Recommendations that children spend more time in recreational facilities to prevent obesity (9)(10)(11) may therefore be counterproductive if children consume snacks and meals in this setting.…”