Clumsy Kids More Likely To Become Obese Adults, Say Researchers
The Age
Thursday August 14, 2008
SCHOOL sports can be a nightmare for children who lack co-ordination. But now they have even more reason to fear clumsiness - it could make them fat.
New research has found that children who are clumsy or unco-ordinated or have poor hand control are up to four times more likely to be obese as adults.A study of almost 8000 children found that those who performed poorly in tests for cognitive and physical function at ages 7 and 11 were at much greater risk of obesity in their 30s.The results, published in the British Medical Journal, were the same regardless of the child's weight or social class.Children were tested on copying a simple design to measure accuracy, marking squares on paper within a minute and the time it took to pick up 20 matches.The research from Orebro University Hospital in Sweden and Imperial College in London adds to growing evidence of a link between cognitive impairment in childhood and adult obesity.But other experts say the results may be due to clumsy children being reluctant to play sports or exercise.Matt Sabin, a childhood obesity specialist at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, said the causes of obesity were complex. "It may well be that children who have poorer motor function decide not to take part in sports because they don't enjoy it . . . and therefore are not taking up opportunities for physical activity and have a higher likelihood of obesity," he said.
© 2008 The Age