Between the ages of 9 and 13, many girls begin to rapidly gain body weight, often leading to future obesity. Pediatricians from the Duke University Clinic (USA) have found an effective way to motivate girls to be active and eat right by inviting them to … read a book!
Between the ages of 9 and 13, many girls begin to rapidly gain body weight, often leading to future obesity. Pediatricians from the Duke University Clinic (USA) have found an effective way to motivate girls to be active and eat right by inviting them to … read a book! Fascinated by the plot of one of the teenage novels created as part of the experiment *, the girls involuntarily imitated the heroines who ate right, moved a lot and watched their weight. Feeling “I can do it too!” boosted their self-esteem and encouraged them. Six months later, these girls’ body mass index decreased by 0,71%. (Compared to control girls, who increased by 0,05%.) «Our study shows that engaging and meaningful reading directly affects adolescent behavior,» says Dr. Sarah Armstrong, director of the Healthy lifestyle at Duke University Hospital. * Beacon Street Girls series, published by Between.