Encouraging active play and walking as a routine in the daily lives of young children may be important in preventing obesity. Children who sleep fewer hours a day are more at risk of obesity and active children tend to sleep longer (Taheri 2006 cited in Milano 2007). However, research into effective interventions for obesity is complex and although individually each factor may make only a small contribution to weight gain, the potential synergies may underestimate the overall impact of playing. For the role of physical activity in controlling a child’s weight may be more complex than its contribution to energy.
