Influence of a Physical Exercise Program in the Anxiety and Depression in Children with Obesity

Abstract

<jats:p>(1) Background: The high prevalence of childhood obesity and its multicausal etiology make it necessary to approach it through different strategies, whose objective is to promote the physical, mental, and social well-being of children. Regular physical activity, in addition to having positive effects on the physical environment of those who practice it, influences positively in psychological aspects such as anxiety and depression, which are very frequent in children with obesity and overweight. (2) Objective: To analyze the changes produced by a program of physical exercise based on anthropometric indicators and levels of anxiety and depression in a population of Mexican children with obesity. (3) Methods: A longitudinal study with experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). The analysis population consisted of 105 children with a body mass index (BMI) for their gender and age group above the 95th percentile, of which 60 were girls and 45 were boys, with a mean age of 10.02 years (SD ± 0.79). By randomizing the participants, 54 were part of the EG and 51 of the, CG The EG participated in a physical exercise program, distributed in two weekly sessions, each lasting 50 min, for 20 consecutive weeks. The CG group continued its usual activities during the intervention period. An inferential analysis was performed between the socio-demographic, anthropometric and psychological variables. (4) Results: The implementation of a physical exercise program in children with obesity favors the appearance of positive thoughts, with improvements in their emotional well-being, self-perception and self-concept; although it does not produce significant changes in weight, height, Z-Score, level of anxiety or depressive thoughts. (5) Discussion: Regular physical exercise practice has positive effects on mental health, although new studies are required to analyze specifically its influence on anxiety and depression in children with obesity.</jats:p>

Interventions to Treat Obesity in Mexican Children and Adolescents: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…40 In 1 study, participants were recruited in a school, but activities were delivered outside school hours. 41 Two studies were conducted in summer camps 39 , 46 ; the setting was unclear in 1 of the studies 24 ( Table 2 ). 20–50…”

“…Significant reductions in anthropometric outcomes were reported in 10 of the 29 studies, 21–23 , 25 , 33 , 36 , 38 , 47–49 9 reported no significant changes, 20 , 26 , 27 , 34 , 35 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 44 and the effect of the intervention was unclear in 5 studies. 24 , 32 , 37 , 39 , 45 In 2 studies, 28 , 50 significant changes were reported in some, but not all, of the anthropometric outcomes considered (eg, changes in skin folds, but not in BMI).…”

“… 26 , 34 , 43 One did not provide sufficient information to calculate the effect size. 41 The study of Rosado et al 42 was excluded from the meta-analysis because in that study, the aim was to increase ready-to-eat cereals as a strategy to reduce excess body weight, and no individualized nutritional advice was provided to participants.…”

“…Thirteen of the 29 studies did not report any funding source, and 3 reported not receiving funding for the intervention. 22 , 33 , 41 For 1 study, authors reported receiving funding from the food industry, 42 and in another, authors reported receiving funding from a pharmaceutical company. 25 National funding was reported in 2 studies, 26 , 43 and for 1 study, authors reported receiving support from international organizations.…”

What Type of Body Shape Moves Children? An Experimental Exploration of the Impact of Narrative Cartoon Character Body Shape on Children’s Narrative Engagement, Wishful Identification, and Exercise Motivation

“…Physical activity (PA) helps to prevent childhood obesity and has significant psychological benefits on children with obesity, including improvement in emotional well-being, self-perception, and self-confidence ( Estabrooks et al, 2008 ; Katzmarzyk et al, 2015 ; Romero-Pérez et al, 2020 ). United States PA guidelines recommend 60+ min of age-appropriate, enjoyable, mostly moderate, or vigorous daily PA (MVPA) for children ( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018 ).…”