Role and mechanisms of exercise in weight management of obese children

YIN Chunyan

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-1522

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (1) : 5-8. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-1522

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Role and mechanisms of exercise in weight management of obese children

YIN Chunyan

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Abstract

Childhood and adolescent obesity has become a major global public health challenge, with a continuously rising prevalence and a trend toward younger age of onset. The escalating rates of childhood obesity significantly increase the risk of various complications, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), asthma, and obstructive sleep apnea, substantially elevating the long-term risk of cardiovascular diseases. Currently, lifestyle interventions centered on nutrition, physical activity, and behavioral modification are the first-line weight management strategies recommended by both domestic and international guidelines, with exercise intervention being a critical component. However, obese children commonly face challenges such as low levels of physical activity, prolonged sedentary time, and insufficient exercise participation, which severely limit intervention effectiveness. This review systematically elucidates the core role and underlying physiological mechanisms of exercise in weight management for obese children. First, exercise directly counteracts positive energy balance and fat accumulation through multiple pathways: increasing total energy expenditure, enhancing skeletal muscle fat oxidation capacity, improving insulin sensitivity, promoting lipolysis, and regulating appetite-related hormones. Second, regular exercise effectively ameliorates obesity-related chronic low-grade inflammation by reducing levels of pro-inflammatory factors such as C-reactive protein (CRP),interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), while promoting the release of anti-inflammatory factors like IL-10 and beneficial myokines including irisin and IL-15, thereby exerting synergistic health-promoting effects at both metabolic and immune levels. In conclusion, exercise represents an indispensable non-pharmacological intervention with dual benefits for the prevention and management of childhood obesity.

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childhood obesity / exercise / weight management / energy metabolism / inflammation / myokines

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YIN Chunyan. Role and mechanisms of exercise in weight management of obese children[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2026, 34(1): 5-8 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-1522

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