WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES IN THE SCHOOL CONTEXT FOR COMBATING CHILDHOOD OBESITY?

Abstract

Childhood obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease, and its control and prevention remain a challenge. Physical exercise is a well-known non-pharmacological tool in the literature. This study aimed to describe the benefits of physical education classes within the school context for children and adolescents. This study is characterized as a descriptive literature review of the last 5 years, from 2020 to 2025. The inclusion criteria were: male and female students enrolled in public and private schools who participate in school physical education classes at least once a week, aged between 3 and 18 years. The authors found 197 articles using the PubMed database, but none met the inclusion criteria. Therefore, the authors concluded that more studies are needed to truly verify the impacts that physical education classes can provide. For the discussion, the authors presented studies that showed the minimum recommended amount of physical exercise to achieve a significant impact on BMI. The ACSM, WHO, and 24-hour Movement guidelines presented in the study justify the increased teaching hours mandated by legislation. However, the authors concluded that the current teaching hours are insufficient to significantly benefit students. They suggested that teachers could encourage students to engage in physical activity outside of school to reduce medication costs and improve their quality of life.