Walking breaks during TV marathons might cut children's diabetes risk

A few minutes of moderate activity can go a long way in helping children with sedentary lifestyle boost their metabolism

Just taking three-minute walking breaks during a TV marathon or other sedentary activities can improve metabolism in children and reduce their risk of diabetes, a new study has found.

A sedentary lifestyle can put children at risk of developing paediatric obesity and metabolic health problems such as diabetes, researchers said.

"Interrupting a long period of sitting with a few minutes of moderate activity can have short-term benefits on a child's metabolism," said senior author Jack A Yanovski, of the US National Institutes of Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

"While we know getting 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity exercise each day improves children's health and metabolism, small behavioural changes like taking short walking breaks can also yield some benefits," Yanovski said.

The randomised crossover trial examined sedentary behaviour and metabolism in 28 normal-weight children who were between 7 and 11 years old. On two different days, the children either sat continuously for three hours or  took  3-minute breaks to walk on a treadmill every half hour during that period.

The study participants had their blood sugar and insulin levels tested before and after the experiment.

The children drank a sugary soda-like drink prior to sitting so that researchers could measure how their bodies processed the sugar. When children took breaks to walk, their blood sugar and insulin levels were lower than when they sat continuously. The findings indicate the children's bodies were better able to maintain blood sugar levels when their sitting was interrupted.

"Sustained sedentary behaviour after a meal diminishes the muscles' ability to help clear sugar from the bloodstream," said first author Britni Belcher, of the US National Cancer Institute. “That forces the body to produce more insulin, which may increase the risk for beta cell dysfunction that can lead to the onset of Type 2 diabetes,” Belcher said. Our findings suggest even short activity breaks can help overcome these negative effects, at least in the short term, Belcher added.

Additional exercise did not appear to affect the participants' appetites. The researchers provided the children with a buffet meal after the blood sugar testing was completed.

The children selected similar amounts and types of foods, regardless of whether they had engaged in continuous or interrupted sitting that day. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endo- crinology and Metabolism.