Physical training improves body composition of black obese 7-to 11-year-old girls

We determined the effect of supervised physical training, without dietary intervention, on body composition of obese girls. The subjects were 25 obese 7- to 11-year-old black girls, divided into physical training and lifestyle education groups which were comparable on baseline body composition; 22 girls finished all aspects of the study. Twelve girls engaged in aerobic training (10 weeks, 5 days/week) while 10 engaged in weekly lifestyle discussions without formal physical training. Total body and regional body composition were measured with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, skinfolds and circumferences. Aerobic fitness was measured by heart rate response to submaximal treadmill exercise. The physical training group attended 94% of scheduled sessions and kept their heart rates at an average of 163 bpm for 28 minutes/session. The lifestyle group attended 95% of their sessions; they remained stable in aerobic fitness and most body composition measurements. The physical training group showed a significant improvement in aerobic fitness and a significant decline of 1.4% body fat. Skinfold and circumference indices of fatness also declined significantly in the training group. We conclude that controlled