Volume 28, Issue 154, December 2024

Effective strategies for body mass index reduction in school-aged children. A review of the literature

Michalina Doligalska^1♦, Aleksandra Stremel², Jan Siemianowski³, Weronika Kotnis³, Zuzanna Bałoniak⁴, Agnieszka Leszyńska⁵, Aleksandra Jonkisz⁵, Julia Bałoniak⁵, Emilia Bachoń⁵, Gabriela Skurzyńska⁶

¹Medical Hospital in Garwolin, Lubelska 50, 08-400 Garwolin, Poland
²Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, Orłowski Hospital, Czerniakowska 231, 00-416, Warsaw, Poland
³Central Teaching Hospital of the Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213 Łódź, Poland
⁴Warsaw Southern Hospital, Rotmistrza Witolda Pileckiego 99, 02-781 Warszawa, Poland
⁵Clinical Hospital in Poznan, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355 Poznań, Poland
⁶District Health Center in Otwock, Batorego 44, 05-400 Otwock, Poland

^♦Corresponding Author
Medical Hospital in Garwolin, Lubelska 50, 08-400 Garwolin, Poland

ABSTRACT

Childhood obesity is a severe disease that can lead to many serious health risks, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and psychological disorders. It is a meta-analysis that evaluates strategies to reduce Body Mass Index (BMI) in school-aged children, focusing physical activity, dietary interventions, and supportive environmental influences. The analysis examines data from 22 studies to assess the effectiveness of individual and combined interventions. Findings reveal that school-based programs incorporating 60 minutes of moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA) and nutritional education are particularly effective. Programs that also involve family participation show enhanced and sustained BMI reduction. Park access and safe walking paths make the interventions more effective. This review indicates that combining physical activity, healthy eating, and implementing environmental changes is vital to reducing BMI in children. The holistic interventions programs targeting physical, dietary, and ecological aspects have proven effects of preventing childhood obesity.

Keywords: Childhood obesity, pediatric obesity treatment, health education, physical activity, BMI reduction

Medical Science, 2024, 28, e144ms3472

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v28i154.e144ms3472

Published: 03 December 2024