Amish children are 2 times more physically active than non-Amish
children Old Order Amish children are much more physically
active and three times less likely to be overweight than non-
Amish children, which may provide them with some long-term
protection against developing Type 2 diabetes, University of
Maryland School of Medicine researchers report in the journal
Diabetes Care. The researchers found that Amish children in
Lancaster County, Pa., spent an additional 34 minutes a day in
light physical activity, plus another 53 additional minutes a
day in moderate to vigorous activity compared to non-Amish white
children living nearby on Maryland's rural Eastern Shore. The
amount of moderate to vigorous activity, which is important to
cardiovascular health, was twice that of the non-Amish children.
The level of physical activity was inversely correlated to their
BMI, or body mass index, which is a measurement of body fat
based on a person's height and weight. "We know from our earlier
research that Amish adults