Effects of lifestyle intervention on psychosocial adjustment in obese children

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between changes in physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and physical self-perceptions and body image in 104 overweight and obese children. The age of the children ranged from 9 to 11 years. Participants and methods: A trial was designed to increase PA and reduce sedentary behavior. PA was reported by screen time more than 3 h/day for 8 weeks. Sedentary behavior was defined as minutes per day spent in television (TV) viewing, video game, and mobile phone. Results: Increases in PA were associated with increases in body image (P 0.00) and body satisfaction (P 0.003). Reduction in TV viewing was also related to increased physical self-worth. Conclusion: Increases in PA are associated with improvements in physical self-perceptions, whereas reductions in TV viewing are associated with increased physical self-worth, and these psychosocial benefits appear to be independent of change in adiposity.