PHYSICAL-TRAINING IMPROVES BODY-COMPOSITION OF BLACK OBESE 7-YEAR-OLDTO 11-YEAR-OLD GIRLS

We determined the effect of supervised physical training, without diet ary intervention, on body composition of obese girls, The subjects wer e 25 obese 7-to 11-year-old black girls, divided into physical trainin g and lifestyle education groups which were comparable on baseline bod y composition; 22 girls finished all aspects of the study, Twelve girl s engaged in aerobic training (10 weeks, 5 days/week) while 10 engaged in weekly lifestyle discussions without formal physical training, Tot al body and regional body composition were measured with dual energy x -ray absorptiometry, skinfolds and circumferences, Aerobic fitness was measured by heart rate response to submaximal treadmill exercise, The physical training group attended 94% of scheduled sessions and kept t heir heart rates at an average of 163 bpm for 28 minutes/session. The lifestyle group attended 95% of their sessions; they remained stable i n aerobic fitness and most body composition measurements, The physical training group showed a significant improvement in aerobic fitness an d a significant decline of 1.4% body fat, Skinfold and circumference i ndices of fatness also declined significantly in the training group, W e conclude that controlled physical training, without dietary interven tion, improved the fitness and body composition of obese black girls.