According to a new study, getting children involved in outdoor recreational activities can do more than help them make friends.
Published in the March 2025 issue of Pediatrics, the publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the study, “Using Parks and Recreation Providers to Enhance Obesity Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” selected a randomized group of children in Durham, N.C., between the ages of 5 and 17 who are living with obesity and placed them in either a control group that received typical nutrition and activity counseling from their primary care providers or a group that would be enrolled in Fit Together, a six-month program that adds group-based physical activity and cooking classes for the whole family, located at a local recreation center.
Children who participated in the Fit Together program fared better than their peers in respect to weight outcomes, with significant decreases in their body mass index (BMI). Those who fared the best included younger, male, non-white Hispanic participants. However, the study did not find any significant impact on cardiorespiratory fitness and was impacted by program disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited available data.
Authors state that the study shows promise for the partnership of pediatric clinicians with parks and recreation as an effective, engaging, and community-centered approach to helping children achieve healthy weight.