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research round-up
get e-motion-al
O
Emphasising the emotional benefi ts of exercise could be the key to getting teens into fi tness, according to new fi ndings
perators wanting to focus on teenage fitness might want to pay attention to a new study1
that suggests the key
to getting adolescents to exercise is to focus on the emotional benefits and how good it can make them feel, as opposed to emphasising the impact on health. Reema Sirriyeh from the University of
Leeds, lead author of the new study, told
The Daily Telegraph: “There is evidence
that people who believe that physical activity is enjoyable and fun are more likely to engage in sport and exercise.” Sirriyeh and her team focused on 120
• • •
16- to 19-year-olds from four sixth forms in West Yorkshire. Participants were split into three experimental groups and one control group. The three experimental groups received one text message a day for two weeks that respectively: Outlined emotional gains: “Physical
activity can make you feel more cheerful” Highlighted health benefi ts: “Physical
activity can help maintain a healthy weight” Contained a mix of both emotional
and physical benefi ts The levels of physical activity were
self-reported and it was found that, on average, the teenagers took part in an extra 30 minutes of moderate exercise during the experiment overall. But when looking at patterns in individual groups, it was found that inactive participants who received messages emphasising the emotional gains of exercise increased their activity levels more than those in all of the other three groups.
the fat gene in teens
While many studies of late suggest that our fitness levels are pre-determined in our genes, another recent piece of research2
an hour or more of physical activity
Those who appreciated the emotional benefits of exercise were more likely to join in
every day is associated with control of body weight in adolescents – even among those who are genetically predisposed to obesity because they carry mutated versions of FTO (the gene associated with fat mass and obesity). “There is compelling evidence that
human obesity is a multifactorial disorder where both genes and lifestyle factors, including diet and physical activity, are important contributing factors,” observe the authors. The study, which was carried out by
the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, was based on 752 adolescents who were part of a cross-sectional study in 10 European countries from 2006 to 2007. Among the teens, 275 (37 per cent)
relating to teens suggests that
had no copies of the FTO mutation, 354 (47 per cent) had one copy and 123 (16 per cent) had two copies. The mutation was linked to a
higher body mass index (BMI), higher
1 Physical activity and adolescents: An exploratory randomized controlled trial investigating the infl uence of affective and instrumental text messages, British
june 2010 © cybertrek 2010
body fat percentage and larger waist circumference in participants. However, the scientists found that the effect of the gene mutation was much lower in teens who met daily physical activity recommendations of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise. It was found that those who had a copy
of the mutated gene, but who stuck to activity recommendations, had a BMI that was only 0.17 higher (per gene) than those with no mutations. In contrast, those who had a copy of the FTO mutation and who did not meet exercise requirements had a BMI that was 0.65 higher per gene. Similarly, each mutated gene was
associated with an increase of 0.4 per cent in body fat and a 6mm increase around the waist among those who met activity guidelines, compared with a 1.7 per cent increase in body fat and a 11.5mm increase in waist circumference among those who did not.
Journal of Health Psychology, 2010; 10.1348/135910710X486889
2
Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2010;164[4]: 328-333
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