PawPALS (Physical Activity as a Lifetime Skill)

Background:   Children and youth are becoming overweight and obese at an alarming rate (1,2,3).   Coupled with this increase in body weight are a host of diseases including non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM) (4,5). The incidence of NIDDM in children and youth had increased dramatically over the past several years (1,3).   It appears to be coupled with the rapid onset of overweight and obesity in this population.

Interventions are typically comprised of diet and exercise programs. The viability of the programs is limited due to the strenuous nature of the physical activity or the dietary demands (5,6,7).   It is important to develop strategies that enable the young children to maintain their activity program with ease.   The intervention must also become a logical part of their daily lives.  

Citations

1. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. CDC and Prevention, NIH, Rockville, MD, US Dept of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Washington, DC, 2001.

2. WHO: Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1998.

3. Flegal, K.M., M.D. Carroll, and R.J. Kuczmarski. Overweight and obesity in the United States: Prevalence and trends 1960-1994.  Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 22:39-47, 1998.

4. Hill, J.O., H.R. Wyatt, and E.L. Melanson. Genetic and environmental contributions to obesity. Med. Clin. North Am. 84(2): 2000.

5. Pescatello, L.S. and J.L. VanHeest. Physical activity mediates a healthier body weight in the presence of obesity. Brit. J. Sports Med. 34:86-93, 2000.

6. Paluska, S. The Role of Physical Activity in Obesity Management. Clin. Family Practice   4(2):111, 2002.

7. MacKnight, J. Exercise Considerations in Hypertension, Obesity, and Dyslipidemia. Clin. Sports Med. 22(1):101, 2003.