Key to More Active, Slimmer Kids: Friends MONDAY, May 28
(HealthDay News) -- Could your young child be putting on excess
pounds because her friends sit around? A small study suggests
it's possible: Kids seemed to become more active in after-school
programs if they hung out with active kids, and the reverse was
true, too. The findings don't prove that friends directly affect
how active kids are, and it's not clear whether there's enough
of an impact to make a difference in obesity or activity levels
throughout the day. Still, the research raises questions about
whether chubbier kids can be influenced by more active peers,
said study co-author Eric Tesdahl, a graduate student in
Vanderbilt University's department of human and organizational
development. Perhaps, he said, less-active kids could be grouped
with more-active ones. "There's a pretty good chance that you
could make some significant changes based on the social-
influence factor alone," Tesdahl said. This is especially true,
he said, since the research