Effects of a physical activity trim and fit programme on the body composition, fitness and blood lipids of overweight students in a Singapore secondary school

Abstract

The trend for increased obesity, especially among the young, has been noted by the Singapore govemment and in 1992 the Ministry of Education launched the Trim and Fit (TAF) programme to help reduce obesity levels in schools. The purpose of this study was two-fold . Firstly, to see whether changes in body composition, fitness and blood lipid levels occurred in 56 TAF club members (33 males and 23 females) after attending 23 physical activity sessions over 13 weeks in a school semester. These changes were then compared to a group of 10 non-overweight members who did not take part in the programme. The second purpose of the study was to examine the heart rate response of overweight TAF members to a variety of physical activities. The heart rate data were then compared with current guidelines on the maintenance of health and cardiopulmonary fitness for children and adolescents