Childhood Obesity News and Research

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Early childhood weight patterns linked to future obesity risk

Not all children grow the same way. A new study from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program suggests that body weight changes in early childhood may be associated with later obesity risk.

22 May 2025

BMI changes in adolescence mediate the effect of air pollution on metabolic health

Changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) during adolescence play an important role in the association between air pollution exposure and insulin resistance, according to a new study led by investigators from the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

20 May 2025

Rural preschoolers face higher risk of overweight and abdominal obesity

New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain (11-14 May), reveals that 3- to 4- year olds in rural areas are more likely to be living with overweight and abdominal obesity (excess fat around waist), and spend more time on screens than their urban counterparts.

13 May 2025

What’s stopping restaurants from offering healthier kids’ meals?

Dutch researchers explored what motivates restaurants to offer healthier kids’ meals and what stands in the way. While willingness is high, perceived low demand, food waste, and operational barriers hold many back.

13 May 2025

GLP-1 drugs linked to significant BMI reduction in children with severe obesity

Children who are living with severe obesity are more likely to experience a clinically relevant change in BMI when GLP-1 agonist drugs form part of their treatment, new research being presented at year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) suggests.

12 May 2025

Childhood obesity linked to lower employment and education rates in early adulthood

Individuals who lived with obesity as children are less likely to be in work or studying in their mid-20s than their peers, new research being presented at year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) has found.

11 May 2025

Adverse waist-to-height ratio trajectories during childhood linked to early cardiometabolic risk

New research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain (11-14 May) reveals that adverse waist-to-height ratio trajectories (a marker for central obesity) during childhood may increase cardiometabolic and cardiovascular risk at 10 years old.

11 May 2025

Junk food ads make kids eat more, even if the ad shows no food!

Children exposed to just 5 minutes of junk food ads consumed 130 extra calories in a day, regardless of ad type or media format. Even brand-only ads, without showing actual food, triggered significant increases in calorie intake.

11 May 2025

Mothers' early pregnancy weight influences kids’ BMI into adolescence

Children born to mothers with higher BMI in early pregnancy have greater weight and BMI from birth through age 10, regardless of prenatal lifestyle interventions. Paternal BMI also plays a significant role in childhood obesity risk.

10 May 2025

Early antibiotic use linked to higher childhood BMI

Taking antibiotics within the first two years of life is linked to a higher body mass index (BMI) in childhood, according to a new study. The research will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2025 Meeting, held April 24-28 in Honolulu.

25 Apr 2025

New Canadian guidelines offer comprehensive approach to managing pediatric obesity

Researchers provide evidence-based recommendations to manage pediatric obesity.

17 Apr 2025

New guideline takes a patient-centered approach to managing obesity in children

A new guideline to help health care providers manage obesity in children and adolescents takes a patient-centred approach, emphasizing behavioral and psychological supports that focus on outcomes valued by patients and their families.

14 Apr 2025

ChatGPT improves exercise for neurodivergent kids

A University of Michigan research team has used AI to help deliver exercise "snacks" to kids with autism.

11 Apr 2025

Researchers uncover why fat gain happens fast during life changes

Perspective article proposes that major fat gains arise from short-term lifestyle disruptions rather than gradual daily surpluses. The authors call for public health strategies to focus on preventing episodic weight spikes during high-risk life events.

10 Apr 2025

Six early life factors found to influence obesity risk in South Asian children

Researchers at McMaster University have identified six key factors in the first three years of life that influence the trajectory of obesity in South Asian children.

10 Apr 2025

Drinking diet drinks in pregnancy raises overweight risk in children, study finds

Daily consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) during pregnancy was linked to a modest but consistent increase in overweight risk in offspring from age 7 to 18. Surprisingly, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) were associated with a lower risk, though lifestyle differences may explain this.

25 Mar 2025

Childhood obesity boosts risk of COPD later in life

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) shows that having an overweight or obesity trajectory during childhood is associated with an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adulthood.

22 Mar 2025

Early sweet foods don’t shape toddlers’ diets — family meals matter more

Early sweet taste exposure during complementary feeding does not shape children's dietary taste patterns later in life. Instead, broader environmental factors, such as family eating habits, play a more significant role.

19 Mar 2025

Waist-to-height ratio more accurate than BMI for detecting childhood obesity

Body mass index (BMI) was almost three times more likely to classify children as overweight than waist circumference-to-height ratio, according to a new study.

12 Mar 2025

Study finds Pacific children struggling with micronutrient intake and obesity

Children ages two to eight years across 11 Pacific jurisdictions (Alaska, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawai'i, Marshall Islands, and Palau) are not meeting daily recommended intakes for key micronutrients, either consuming too much or too little.

6 Mar 2025