In the January 2005 issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is a new study that indicates walking faster may not translate into faster weight loss among obese children.
Here’s a summary of this study:
Walking faster may not translate into faster weight loss among obese children.
Researchers found increasing walking speed did not cause fat oxidation, otherwise known as "fat burning," to speed up among a group of overweight boys between the ages of 9 and 11.
The study showed that the highest fat and carbohydrate burning occurred at a walking speed of about 2.5 miles per hour.
Researchers concluded that a moderately intense exercise program may be recommended to overweight children as a feasible way to treat childhood obesity.

Researchers compared fat burning rates at different walking speeds among 24 overweight boys with an average body mass index (BMI, a measure of weight in relation to height) of 25.5.
Increasing the walking speed to 5 kilometers/hour or 6 kilometers/hour did not substantially increase the fat burning rate.
Although the boys burned more carbohydrates when they increased their walking speed, researchers found the moderate walking pace promoted the highest fat to carbohydrate burning ratio, which is recommended for weight loss.
Researchers say that obesity causes the body to get energy from other sources rather than fat, which causes fat to build up.
Researchers say it may be more reasonable to prescribe and encourage low-intensity exercise, which is more feasible and acceptable to obese children.