Could sport be part of pediatric obesity prevention and treatment? Expert conclusions from the 28th European Childhood Obesity Group Congress

The prevalence of pediatric obesity continues to increase worldwide,bringing with it various metabolic,functional,social,and psychological complications.1 Both the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity must be based on multidisciplinary approaches combining nutrition,physical activity(PA),and psychological support.2 As an essential element of these multicomponent strategies,regular physical activity has been acknowledged as having beneficial effects on children's and adolescents,body composition,physical fitness,and metabolic profile,as well as on their health-related quality of life,social and psychological health,and academic achievement.3,4 Given that only a relatively small proportion of children and adolescents meet the public health recommendations for PA,5 and given that weight loss exercise-based interventions suffer from a high attrition rate,there is a clear need for appropriate PAs.