Obesity Linked to Poor Math Skills in Children

We at Fit4Sale obviously believe in the importance of fitness, and that goes for all ages. Fitness not only impacts a person's physical well being, but it can affect mental capabilities as well. This can have particularly negative consequences for children still in school, which is why we were concerned with a recent research study from the University of Missouri.

A University of Missouri researcher reported that she found a link between childhood obesity and poor math skills. Sara Gable, an associate professor in the university's Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, followed more than 6,250 children from kindergarten through fifth grade. She found that children of both sexes who were considered obese in kindergarten performed poorly on math tests starting in first grade compared to their peers. Fewer gaps were seen in children who became obese at an older age. She concluded that poor math performance was partly connected to feelings of sadness, loneliness and other shortcoming in social skills. Sara Gable collaborated with researchers from the University of Vermont and the University of California, Los Angeles, and the study was published in the journal Child Development.

Most obese children have obese parents. The eating and exercise habits of parents are a strong influence on the behavior of young children from a very early age. By stetting up a home gym with with new or used fitness equipment, parents can help instill positive fitness habits that can keep them smart and healthy for the rest of their lives. It doesn't always matter what particular machine a family has in their home. Ellipticals, exercise bikes, rowing machines and treadmills all encourage healthy physical activity.