Children Gain Weight More Quickly Over Summer, Study Finds

When children head back to school this fall, parents and teachers expect them to need a little remediation. But a new study shows that some of them may need something else – more physical activity and healthier meals.

Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health found that some kids are gaining weight more quickly during the summer months.

Is it video games? Fast food? Late-night sleepovers?

The study, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, suggests that children between the ages of 5 and 12 may be more sedentary. They’re sitting more during the summer with their electronics and snacking. Without the structure of school, their sleep patterns also may not be consistent.

The study comes at a time when one in 3 children in the United States is considered obese. Many efforts are being made in schools to serve healthier lunches and give children more time to exercise. In some schools, children are told to play outside after school for at least thirty minutes every day as part of their homework.

But when school ends, children are often less active, researchers found. Children who are already overweight or obese are the most at risk for gaining weight over the summer break, the study found.

Fortunately, many solutions exist.

“Potential solutions for the problem of accelerated summer weight gain include greater access to recreational facilities, physical activity programming and summer food programs,” the researchers wrote.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Chronic Disease

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