Childhood Obesity News and Research

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Pennington Biomedical Research Center works to combat childhood obesity

One in five children have obesity in the U.S., and even more are considered overweight. Dr. Amanda Staiano, associate professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and director of the Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory, believes childhood obesity is at the top of the list for public health issues of this century because children with obesity are much more likely to develop heart disease, diabetes, asthma, sleep problems and other issues.

6 Jul 2023

School nurses play key role in reducing childhood obesity

School nurses do much more than bandage scraped knees and take temperatures. A Rutgers study, published in the journal Pediatric Nursing, suggests they also may play a key role in reducing childhood obesity.

6 Jul 2023

Growing up in poverty may influence the wiring of a child's brain, study suggests

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that growing up in poverty may influence the wiring of a child's brain.

27 Jun 2023

Women with higher maternal BMI have shorter breastfeeding duration, finds study

Breastfeeding has significant benefits for both maternal and child health. Research has indicated that women with higher body mass index (BMI) have shorter durations of breastfeeding, but few underlying mechanisms have been identified.

23 Jun 2023

Plant-based foods may be a key to preventing childhood obesity

A new study led by researchers from the Mass General Brigham healthcare system suggests that taking a "food is medicine" approach could increase nutrition security for families and lead to reductions in body mass index (BMI) in children.

22 Jun 2023

10 postdoctoral fellows from Latin America receive Pew funding for biomedical research

The Pew Charitable Trusts today announced the 2023 class members of the Pew Latin American Fellows Program in the Biomedical Sciences.

13 Jun 2023

Common weight-loss surgery for obese adolescents and young adults reduces bone strength

A common weight-loss surgery for obese adolescents and young adults is found to have harmful effects on bones, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

13 Jun 2023

'Every Bite Counts': The importance of monitoring diet in the first 24 months of life

Researchers address the need for improved methods of assessing dietary intake in infants and young children.

29 May 2023

Toddler’s gut bacteria highly predictive of body mass index at age 5

The make-up and volume of gut bacteria in toddlers at 3.5 years old is predictive of body mass index (BMI) at age 5, irrespective of whether they are born prematurely or not, according to new research, being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland (17-20 May).

22 May 2023

What is the effect of maternal fish oil supplementation in overweight or obese mothers on infant body composition and metabolism?

Researchers examined the effects of fish oil supplementation on pregnant and postpartum women who are overweight or obese.

4 May 2023

Study finds small but positive impact of school-based interventions on childhood obesity

Researcher paper is an update of a Cochrane systematic review on childhood obesity prevention interventions. It includes randomized controlled trials published until June 2021 that assess the effectiveness, adverse effects, and cost-effectiveness of interventions on the weight of children aged 6-18 years.

3 May 2023

Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy linked to childhood obesity in boys

Study examines the association between prenatal vitamin D levels and growth and adiposity in late childhood. The results suggest a sex-specific programming effect of early pregnancy vitamin D3 levels on offspring body composition into late childhood observed in boys.

25 Apr 2023

Japanese study finds Cesarean births increase childhood obesity risk

Research investigates the impact of Caesarean section birth on obesity at 3 years of age in Japanese children. The study found that Caesarean birth modestly increases the risk of obesity at 3 years of age in Japanese children.

25 Apr 2023

Researchers receive $4.1 million grant to identify factors linked to high rates of type 2 diabetes in children

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is surging among U.S. children. The number of youths under 20 years old living with the disease has nearly doubled between 2001 and 2017, and yet—aside from increases in childhood obesity—the reasons for this disturbing increase are not clear.

18 Apr 2023

Environmental exposures during pregnancy can affect obesity risk differently in girls and boys, according to a study

A study published in the journal BMC Medicine describes that the risk of obesity and neurodevelopmental delay can vary between boys and girls concerning certain types of prenatal exposures. The study identifies a combination of four exposure levels that protect girls from developing these complications.

13 Apr 2023

Prenatal and early childhood nutritional exposures: a review of the developmental contributions to obesity

Researchers reviewed the latest studies on nutritional exposures during prenatal and early childhood stages.

11 Apr 2023

Pathophysiology, comorbidities, and interventions related to childhood obesity

Researchers discuss the psychological and physiological impacts of obesity on children.

6 Apr 2023

Can metabolic phenotyping of pregnant women, beyond pre-pregnancy obesity or gestational diabetes status, improve the assessment of adiposity risk in offspring?

Researchers assessed whether metabolic phenotyping during pregnancy increases the risk of adiposity risk in the offspring.

6 Apr 2023

Good physical fitness does not reduce obesity-related low-grade inflammation in children

The increased prevalence of childhood obesity has resulted in an increased incidence of sustained low-grade inflammation starting from childhood.

3 Apr 2023

Hypertension in childhood often leads to high blood pressure in adulthood

High blood pressure in children is not uncommon, and research shows it may lead to high blood pressure in adulthood, as well as problems with the heart, blood vessels and kidneys, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published today in the Association's Hypertension journal.

30 Mar 2023