Reducing Children's Risk of Summer Weight Gain

An essential part of a child's annual physical exam is a weight check. Annual visits, however, do not help healthcare practitioners monitor seasonal fluctuations in weight. ARS-supported researchers recently tracked weight changes of more than 7,500 elementary school children.

They found that children who were overweight or obese gained more weight during the summer than during the school year. While the researchers did not assess the reasons for these seasonal fluctuations, the findings shed light on the need for dietary strategies to help children maintain healthy body weights year round.

Related Information

Journal article: Seasonal variability in weight change during elementary school