Obesity‐Prone Children Can Benefit from High‐Intensity Exercise

■ Increased Incidence of Obesity The incidence of obesity is increasing in the United States and is particularly apparent in children. A recent report indicates that the prevalence of obesity in 5-year-old girls is 23% for African Americans and 10% for Caucasians, rising in each group by the age of 11 years to 47% in African Americans and 27% in Caucasians. In 5-year-old boys, the prevalence of obesity is 13% for African Americans and 6% for Caucasians, and it rises to 29% for African Americans and 22% for Caucasians by the age of 11 years (5). The relationship between body fat, especially visceral fat (which is particularly harmful fat inside the abdomen surrounding the organs), and the risk of cardiovascular disease and non– insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) are well known (1, 13, 14).

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