This week marks the first anniversary of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, an effort to eliminate childhood obesity within a single generation. As the First Lady embarks on a media tour to promote her signature issue, a new study from UVA’s Curry School of Education says teenagers that own dogs are more active than their petless peers.
Associate Professor John Sirard surveyed hundreds of Minneapolis-area adolescents on the number of dogs in their homes and how often they were physically active. Sirard found that dog-owning teenagers receive, on average, 15 extra minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week. After taking demographic factors into account, however, the extra exercise dwindles to just three minutes.
“That’s a pretty small number," admits Sirard, who does not believe that dog ownership can alleviate teen obesity on its own. Over the course of one year, teens with dogs boast two-and-a-half more hours of exercise than those without canines.
“The difference is small and it can’t solve the multi-factorial problem of people’s inactivity and obesity,” says Sirard. “The solution needs to be multi-factorial as well.”
Researchers did not control the types of dog in the study. Sirard notes that people with larger dog breeds such as Labradors or Golden Retrievers will likely see more physical benefits from their pets than those with smaller dogs, because they generally require more walking.
And while Sirard encourages dog owners to view their pets as a tool to remain active, he does not advise overweight teens to replace their dumbbells with dogs.
“You should get a dog because you can provide a loving home for it. If you have a dog and don’t walk it, maybe it’s time to get up and get some exercise with it,” says Sirard.
According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control, childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years. Sirard says he is confident that efforts like Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign can reverse this unhealthy trend.
“I think it might be realistic,” says Sirard in reference to the First Lady’s goal. “I think there’s more awareness now.”
Sirard’s study will appear in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
