Exercise & Overweight Children's Cognition

This research focuses on overweight, sedentary children whose health, cognition, and academic performance are therefore at risk, and who may be particularly responsive to exercise interventions. This study will determine whether regular exercise per se (i.e. compared to attention control, or placebo, condition) benefits children\'s cognition and achievement, and will provide insight into neural mechanisms. A substudy will examine exercise-induced changes in brain structure. Provision of comprehensive evidence for the benefits of exercise on children\'s health may reduce barriers to vigorous physical activity programs during a childhood obesity epidemic by persuading policymakers, schools and communities that time spent in physical activity enhances, rather than detracts from, learning.