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Friday, February 05, 2010

Reading the Right Type of Novel Can Help Obese Girls Lose Weight

Obese girls who read a novel about an overweight teen's struggle lost more weight than did girls who read a "weight neutral" novel or did not read any novel at all, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.
  • Researchers divided 33 obese girls into three groups.
  • One group read a novel about an overweight girl who goes rock climbing, hiking, and canoeing after being ridiculed by her classmates.
  • The other two groups either were not assigned to a novel or read one that did not address weight issues.
  • There was a small but significant difference in the number of pounds lost by those who read the novel that addressed being overweight, said Dr. Sarah Armstrong, director of the Healthy Lifestyles Program at Duke University.
"This provides hope to parents that something as simple as an inspiring novel can help kids make healthier choices and lower their risk of illness," Dr. Armstrong said.

Labels: weight loss, obesity, weight-gain, reading

Posted By: Aspen/CRC