Childhood Obesity News and Research

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Pros and cons of routine school BMI screening

The value of routine body mass index (BMI) screening in schools has been a topic of ongoing controversy. An expert Roundtable Discussion in the current issue of Childhood Obesity, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., debates the pros and cons of routine BMI screening in the school setting, discusses the most recent data, and explores when and for what purpose BMI screening results should be shared with parents and the potential benefits.

2 Feb 2012

The challenge of crafting public health messages to combat childhood obesity

When a Georgia health care organization recently launched a series of childhood anti-obesity ads, they had no idea they'd be accused of attacking rather than advocating for kids.

1 Feb 2012

Revised menus for school lunches with more fruits and veggies

American schoolchildren are accustomed to a steady diet of pizza and french fries for school lunches. Now they will find more fruits, vegetables and whole grains on their cafeteria trays under new government school lunch rules announced on Wednesday. Apart from adding double the produce servings the guidelines also call for fat-free and low-fat milk only, child-appropriate portion sizes and reductions in sodium, saturated fat and trans fats.

26 Jan 2012

New report examines link between school obesity programs and eating disorders in children

A new report from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health examines the possible association between school-based childhood obesity prevention programs and an increase in eating disorders among young children and adolescents.

25 Jan 2012

Exposure to phthalates may increase risk of obesity in young children

Researchers from the Children's Environmental Health Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York have found an association between exposure to the chemical group known as phthalates and obesity in young children - including increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

20 Jan 2012

Quebec ban on junk-food ads more effective in reducing childhood obesity

With mounting concerns over childhood obesity and its associated health risks in the U.S., would a ban on junk-food advertising aimed at children be more effective than the current voluntary, industry-led ban? According to published research from a University of Illinois economist, advertising bans do work, but an outright ban covering the entire U.S. media market would be the most effective policy tool for reducing fast-food consumption in children.

20 Jan 2012

Obesity in the U.S. stabilize: Report

New figures from the federal government shows that the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. largely leveled off over the last decade, even as some individual groups, such as boys from ages 6 to 19, saw increases.

18 Jan 2012

No significant change in prevalence of obesity in the U.S.

There has not been significant change in the prevalence of obesity in the U.S., with data from 2009-2010 indicating that about one in three adults and one in six children and teens are obese; however, there have been increases in certain demographics, according to two studies being published by JAMA. The studies are being released online first because of their public health importance.

18 Jan 2012

No link between junk foods and obesity among school children

While the percentage of obese children in the United States tripled between the early 1970s and the late 2000s, a new study suggests that-at least for middle school students-weight gain has nothing to do with the candy, soda, chips, and other junk food they can purchase at school.

17 Jan 2012

Viewpoints: GOP moving away from compassionate conservatism; Competing strategies for fighting obesity

Romney asserts that President Obama wants to "fundamentally transform America," turning the country "into a European-style entitlement society." In fact, (Mitt) Romney and his Republican presidential rivals have a far more radical transformation in mind. They envision a dramatically shrunken federal government and a dangerously unraveled social safety net.

13 Jan 2012

Societal, parental values about injury prevention affect outdoor physical activity for children

Three-fourths of preschool-age children in the United States attend child care, and many are not getting enough outdoor physical activity, which may be due in part to parental and societal values about injury prevention and kindergarten readiness.

11 Jan 2012

The sharpness of the brain dulls beyond 45: Study

Researchers from the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health in France and University College London in the UK studied more than 7,000 people over a 10-year period and show the brain's capacity for memory, reasoning and comprehension starts waning in middle age rather than in the 60s.

9 Jan 2012

Study refutes perinatal programming theory about adipose tissue growth

Is obesity in infants "programmed" in the womb? Previously, researchers assumed that consumption of "bad" fats during pregnancy contribute to excessive infant adipose tissue growth and that "good" omega-3 fatty acids prevent expansive adipose tissue development. A study run by the Technische Universit-t M-nchen showed no evidence to support this "perinatal programming" theory.

5 Jan 2012

In-your-face advertisements target childhood obesity

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is hearing strong criticism from some camps for its in-your-face advertising campaign designed to attack Georgia's childhood obesity epidemic. But the pediatric health system stands firmly by its approach, saying the grim advertisements featuring overweight kids are necessary to get families to recognize the widespread public health problem.

4 Jan 2012

Salt addiction acquired in infancy: Study

According to a new study babies fed starchy table foods, which often contain added salt, before 6 months of age show a preference for salt that persists through their preschool years.

27 Dec 2011

Researchers analyze link between maternal-child relationship and adolescent obesity

The quality of the emotional relationship between a mother and her young child could affect the potential for that child to be obese during adolescence, a new study suggests.

26 Dec 2011

Roundup: Texas members oppose state's MLR waiver; Calif.'s disability case takes unusual turn

If you want to know what a Tea Party America might look like, there is no place like Kansas. In the past year, three state agencies have been abolished and 2,050 jobs have been cut. Funding for schools, social services and the arts have been slashed. The new Republican governor rejected a $31.5 million federal grant for a new health-insurance exchange because he opposes President Obama's health-care law. And that's just the small stuff.

23 Dec 2011

Five weight loss tips for the New Year

With the new year right around the corner, many will be thinking about their New Year's resolution. One of the most popular - losing weight - can also be one of the most difficult to keep. But researchers at Temple's Center for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) work year-round to study the treatment and prevention of obesity.

22 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Wyden and Ryan on their Medicare plan; Frist on the need for international health aid

Few issues draw more heated partisan rhetoric than the future of Medicare. Seniors are a reliable and powerful voting bloc, and both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of exploiting Medicare to frighten and entice voters. But turning discussions of Medicare's future into the third rail of American politics does nothing to guarantee that Medicare will continue to be a lifeline for America's seniors.

16 Dec 2011

National conference on mindfulness for children

Beginning February 4, 2012, the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness will host a national conference for teachers, parents, therapists, and school administrators called Bridging the Hearts & Minds of Youth. The two-day conference is designed to familiarize and train attendees with the ways in which mindfulness is being taught to children and teens in a variety of settings.

15 Dec 2011