ss weight is due to imbalance between physical activity and dietary energy intake, ective of the age of individuals. Sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, and consequent overweight and obesity markedly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases . Physical activity plays an important role in the preventing one from becoming overweight and obese in childhood, reducing thereby the risk of suffering from obesity in adulthood . Dance, a form of physical activity and a mode of exercise , performed by small groups of all ages , is a sequence of non verbal rhythmic body movements of creative nature and scope for expression. Bharatnatyam, an Indian classical dance, is a recreational activity since age old times.
It is a unique synchronization of music, rhythm and expression, where the dancer expresses the full gamut of human’s experience through aesthetics. It includes some special movements like sitting, bending, standing, twisting etc and some complex movements like jumps and taut hand gestures. Some special types of exercise or initial basic steps, referred to as ‘adavu’, are required to be learnt before performing the dance. In this backdrop, a study was undertaken to see the effect of regular Bharatnatyam dancing on body composition in children.
Initially institutions imparting training on Bharatnatyam dancing were approached and required permission was obtained. The names of initially interested volunteers were enlisted. The inclusion criteria was that the children (12-18 year) should have a minimum training of 5 years in Bharatnatyam and practice it regularly for at least an hour for 6 days in a week. Bharatnatyam dancing training for less than 5 years and being trained in other forms of exercise were considered as exclusion criteria for the study. Children of comparable age and socio-economic background, but not receiving training in any form of dance and also not exercising regularly constituted the Control Group (CG). Information about age (year), period for which individuals are receiving training in Bharatnatyam dancing, daily practicing time, nature and duration of daily activity, food habits, preliminary socio-economic condition and past incidence of major illness of self and parents were recorded in pre-designed schedule. Basic physical data like body height (cm) using Anthropometric rod with an accuracy of 0.1cm, body weight (kg) using a pre calibrated weighing scale with an accuracy of 0.1kg, with individuals in light clothing and without shoes, were measured and BMI was calculated. Waist circumference (WC), to the nearest of 0.5 cm, at the narrowest part of the iliac crest, and Hip circumference (HC), to the nearest of 0.5 cm, at the greatest circumference of the buttocks, with subjects in minimal inspiration were measured using a flexible measuring tape and waist hip ratio (WHR) was calculated. Body fat was estimated from skinfold measurement, using skin- fold calliper, obtained at three sites- tricep, subscapula and suprailiac. Obtained data were tabulated and used for further statistical analysis.
The dancing group individuals and control group individuals do not differ significantly (P > 0.05) in respect of age.
In Figure 1a the mean Body Weight of individuals of DG (42.1kg) and CG (52.2 kg) are presented and there is significant difference (P < 0.01) between DG and CG individuals in respect of Body Weight. In Figure 1b the BMI (AM ± SD) of both DG (22.0) and CG (17.9) individuals are presented and there is significant difference (P < 0.01) between DG and CG individuals in respect of BMI. The Absolute Body Fat data of DG and CG individuals are presented in Figure 1c in AM ± SD form and significant difference (P < 0.01) between DG (9.2 kg) and CG (14.2kg) individuals in respect of Absolute Body Fat in kg is observed.
The comparison between DG individuals and CG individuals is presented in respect of Waist Circumference (WC) in Figure 2a. It is observed that the WC is significantly (P < 0.01) lower in DG individuals (63.0cm) compared to their CG counterparts (70.5 cm).
In Figure 2b the Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR