VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN OBESITY THROUGH PHYSICAL EXERCISES
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN OBESITY THROUGH PHYSICAL EXERCISES

Summary/Abstract: Obesity is one of the serious problems that humanity is facing. Moreover, during our century obesity in children has reached concerning levels. In the case of adults the management of the associated problems depends on one's conscience and willpower. In the case of children, this phenomenon must determine the factors that influence the training and education of children to appropriately intervene in the prevention and treatment of this issue. The assumptions underlying the approach described in this paper spring from the seriousness of the childhood obesity problem, the known causes that led to the extension of the disease, and the growing dependence of the use of technology in everyday life. This paper aims on the one hand, to give a review of the ways in which the situation is reflected in the virtual environment: the different applications, platforms, information sites etc. On the other hand, the paper proposes tackling childhood obesity within a support platform for the management of prevention and treatment of this condition in children. The purpose of this platform (eObesity) is to assist in the treatment of overweight and obesity in children through exercise (programs). The direct beneficiaries are the overweight and obese children and the indirect beneficiaries are the physical education teachers and parents of children with obesity. Experts in the field (physical education teachers, physiotherapists, physicians, students specializing in physical education and sport) manage the interpretive component of the results of the activities. The configuration of the Platform and the management of the users before named are done by an administrator of the platform. The concepts underlying the platform are described in the paper and its general specifications are indicated as well as the current implementation status. The eObesity platform contains general information about obesity: causes, effects, diet, physical activities etc. The novelty and specificity is given by the component of support in the management of physical activity, which is physical education and sport specific through the theoretical and especially through the practical content as it can be seen in the video documents posted. The process of achieving the optimal weight is controlled through physical training modules with partial and final assessments of physical development and fitness, with recommendations for transition to another module. Specialists provide specialized assistance through virtual communication. Our conclusion is that a virtual support platform such as eObesity widens the variety of means for maintaining the health of children, combining work on the computer with the actual physical activity. Therefore eObesity holds a distinct place among the applications that treat this issue. Moreover, one can see a wide range of useage of the platform which facilitates access to specialty care from the home where one can perform physical activities.

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