At the same time, they have lost fitness. This was the result of a study by sports scientists from the University of Graz with 764 children from Klagenfurt and the surrounding area between the ages of seven and ten years. According to the authors, the results can be transferred to the whole of Austria.
The questionable findings on the not uncontroversial school closings, the general lockdowns as a result of the corona pandemic and the omission of gym classes, spending time outdoors and sporting activity come from comparative surveys and fitness tests. The scientists carried out these in September 2019 and between June and September 2020.
Covid-19 as an accelerator
Covid-19 significantly accelerated the long-term increase in overweight and obese children in the group of primary school children examined.
“The increase in the number of overweight or obese children within one year by 3.8 percentage points corresponds roughly to the size of this increase in Austrian children within four years (2014 to 2018)”, stated the Austrian sports scientists.
Since the schools have been temporarily closed again since September 2020 and some lockdowns have been imposed, additional negative health consequences cannot be ruled out.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
