Moving beyond rates of obesity

This Journal and others have detailed the worldwide obesity epidemic. With the rare exception, despite numerous submissions, we have declined to publish additional reports that further describe the epidemic. However, two related papers in this issue describe important work that will help define potential interventions. Dr Lammers and colleagues from Great Ormond Street provide normal values for the 6-minute walk test in children aged 4–11 years. Based on a sample of 328 children, as discussed in a perspective by Ulf Ekelund, this study provides preliminary data on cardiorespiratory fitness in children. Assuming that this test measures the right thing – oxygen saturation – and it proves to be reliable, than it can be used to assess various interventions. In a second preliminary study, investigators adopted two very popular US programmes, Planet Health and Eat Well Keep Moving, that focus on healthy eating, increasing physical activity and reducing TV viewing, in a cluster randomised controlled trial in 19 …