Climate change leading to more childhood obesity with less physical activity, study finds

(Gray News) - Climate change has been a topic of discussion over the years, and a doctor says higher temperatures could be affecting our children’s health.

According to Study Finds, environmental physiologist Dr. Shawnda Morrison is sounding the alarm in a comprehensive review of studies on this topic.

She said physical fitness is the key to tolerating higher temperatures, and unfit children could face heat-related health problems such as dehydration and heat stroke as global warming continues.

According to the doctor, obesity and physical inactivity among children are leaving many struggling to regulate their body temperature in the heat, leading them to do less exercise.

Morrison said she found that children are 30% less aerobically fit than their parents were at their age, with fewer children reaching the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 60 minutes of daily exercise.

The doctor criticized failures to sufficiently prioritize children’s health needs in climate change policy, arguing more action is necessary to get children exercising so they will cope in a hotter world.

Morrison shared that the pandemic made children less likely to exercise, notably when schools closed, and she fears rising heat could similarly obstruct children from physical activity. Parents may also tell their children it’s too hot to play, preventing children from maintaining their healthy physical activity requirements.

The study recommends physical education and for children to play sports when it comes to helping them stay fit, along with active play among friends and family.

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