Daily HealthBeat Tip

Small steps, heavier toys

From the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Do a little more activity here and there in daily life, and � given enough time � the extra calories you burn add up. That's true with grown-ups, and researchers say it can be true with kids, too.

John Ozmun of Indiana State tested the idea by having seven- and eight-year-old children play with cardboard blocks � some empty and others holding three-pound weights. The study was presented at a conference organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ozmun says kids burned a few more calories with heavier toys, and didn't seem to mind the weight � making another possible small step toward good health.

"If kids will play with those types of toys, then it may not have a huge impact but it might have a positive contribution � a small puzzle piece to that issue." (eight seconds)

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: September 26, 2006

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