LONDON (Reuters) - A low-energy diet and strength training could help tackle the growing problem of childhood obesity, researchers suggest.

By combining a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with aerobic exercise and treadmill work, overweight children can grow normally but still lower their body fat and cholesterol levels, scientists at The Chinese University in Hong Kong said on Wednesday.

"Our findings provide support for the potentially beneficial effects in obese children of both diet and exercise," Dr. Rita Sung and colleagues report in a study published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The researchers compared the combined program and just the diet on 82 youngsters aged 8 to 11 years in Hong Kong, where the increased prevalence of obesity in children is becoming a major concern.

The scientists said the 6-week diet and exercise program was more effective than diet alone in allowing children to gain height while improving their weight.

"The aim, in these growing children, was to prevent them getting more obese and developing related complications by a change in their diet," Sung added.

Childhood obesity has become a major problem in industrialized countries and is adding millions of dollars to healthcare costs. Overweight children usually become overweight adults and have an increased risk of suffering from chronic health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

Obesity is measured by using body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. A BMI of more than 30 in an adult is considered obese.

High-fat diets, sugary drinks, too many hours in front of television and computer screens and a lack of exercise have contributed to the growing number of overweight and obese children.

Sung said her research shows the potential benefits in obese children of both diet and exercise programs.

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