Simply increasing physical activity levels alone is unlikely to reduce body weight in young children, and therefore will probably not prevent obesity (肥胖), although it may set the stage for a healthier lifestyle, the results of a study conducted in Scotland suggest. Instead, a combination of increased physical activity and other lifestyle changes like sticking to a healthy diet may be needed to stop the trend of obesity. “Many children are obese, even at preschool age,” Dr John J. Reilly from the University of Glasgow and his colleagues note in the British Medical Journal. Considering the general lack of evidence on proper ways to prevent obesity in this age group, Reilly’s team had 545 children from 36 nursery schools in the “Movement and Activity Glasgow Intervention (干预) in Children” or MAGIC trial. The trial was specifically designed to see if an increase in activity could reduce body mass index (身体质量指数). Each week for 24 weeks roughly half of the preschoolers, who were an average of 4.2 years old, participated in three 30-minute active workouts while at nursery school and their parents were encouraged to increase the child’s activity levels at home. The other half of the children, serving as contrasts, followed their usual nursery school schedule. According to the researchers, the physical activity intervention had no significant effect on body mass index of the children. However, compared with contrast children, intervention children show greater gains in body movement skills, which, the researchers say, may increase confidence in physical ability, perhaps increasing the opportunities of future participation in physical activity or sports. In a word, Reilly and his colleagues suggest that “successful interventions to prevent obesity in early childhood may require changes not just at nursery, school, and home, but in the wider environment. Changes in other behaviors, including diet, may also be necessary.” (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)