Childhood Obesity News and Research

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Physical education classes slim down America's children, not obesity boot camps

Obesity boot camps are not the answer to the nation's waistline problem, says Deborah J. Wray, associate professor in the department of kinesiology at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

19 Mar 2010

Mars supports new national school nutrition standard

Mars, Incorporated today announced its support for improved school food nutrition standards so that more nutritious products are available to students nationwide. A key component of a comprehensive health and wellness campaign, the announcement was made in partnership with other industry leaders and public health organizations.

19 Mar 2010

Kaiser Permanente study: Snapshot of the prevalence of extreme obesity in younger children

Extreme obesity is affecting more children at younger ages, with 12 percent of black teenage girls, 11.2 percent of Hispanic teenage boys, 7.3 percent of boys and 5.5 percent of girls now classified as extremely obese, according to a Kaiser Permanente study of 710,949 children and teens that appears online in the Journal of Pediatrics.

19 Mar 2010

Mrs. Obama on childhood obesity

Last month First Lady Michelle Obama launched a programme called “Let’s Move” aiming at reducing and eradicating the childhood obesity epidemic in the existing generation so that the nation as a whole attains a healthy adulthood in the coming decades.

18 Mar 2010

Childhood obesity: Genetic variation could be a factor

Increasing childhood obesity has worried governments and public health advisers in many countries. But a study of 300 children with severe obesity by the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, suggest the problem may be more complicated than simply bad diet, overeating, or lack of exercise.

12 Mar 2010

Tackling childhood obesity: Chidren need to be involved in physical activity program planning process

Getting children involved in finding ways to become more physically active can not only make them more aware of local recreational opportunities, but can even help increase their own physical activity.

12 Mar 2010

New study suggests rising childhood obesity is linked to food allergies

First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” Campaign tells us that about 32 percent of children and teens (or 25 million) are obese or overweight. It revealed those extra pounds put them at greater risk of developing debilitating and costly diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and may also cause them to lead a two to five year shorter life than their parents

10 Mar 2010

Research Roundup: Childhood obesity, insurance coverage in cancer trials, hospitals stays and need for nursing homes

Health Affairs this month is devoted to the topic of childhood obesity, with the first study of the group - National, State, And Local Disparities In Childhood Obesity - pointing out that "new data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health show that the percentage of children ages 10-17 who are overweight ... remained stable, while the national prevalence of obesity (BMI in the ninety-fifth percentile and higher) grew significantly, from 14.8 percent in 2003 to 16.4 percent in 2007.

6 Mar 2010

Sesame Workshop and AmeriChoice to develop bilingual education outreach program

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, and AmeriChoice, the UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company that provides health benefits for state and public programs, are partnering to develop a bilingual education outreach program aimed at helping low-income families make food choices that are affordable, nutritional and set the foundation for lifelong healthy habits.

4 Mar 2010

KID HEALTHY campaign celebrates eighth anniversary

Leaders of the annual KID HEALTHY - Steps to Healthy Living Campaign, announced today that on March 9 they will celebrate eight years of working in schools and youth agencies to combat the rising trend of childhood obesity in Southern California

4 Mar 2010

Community support critical for reducing childhood obesity

Community support of school obesity prevention programs is critical to achieving a significant decrease in obesity among children, according to researchers at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, which is part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

4 Mar 2010

School-based weight-management program may be effective for losing weight

Innovative, kid-friendly strategies for losing weight and gaining nutrition savvy-plus physical fitness skills-are emerging from scientific studies funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

3 Mar 2010

HHS Secretary asks Olympic athletes to combat the challenge of childhood obesity

Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the first in a series of web videos and public service announcements to promote First Lady Michelle Obama’s national initiative, Let’s Move, to solve childhood obesity within a generation. Childhood obesity and excess weight threatens the healthy future of one third of American children.

3 Mar 2010

Altarum Institute urges government to implement effective BMI surveillance systems to combat childhood obesity

A report published today in the journal Health Affairs calls for increased body mass index surveillance as a tool to combat the childhood obesity epidemic and urges state and federal action to implement effective BMI surveillance systems nationwide.

3 Mar 2010

Junk food consumption on the rise among U. S. children

Children in the United States are snacking more than ever before on salty chips, candy and other junk food, according to a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study.

3 Mar 2010

Nemours: New efforts to reduce prevalence of overweight and obesity among Delaware's children

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among Delaware children, ages 2-17, shows a flattening of the trajectory – no change- between 2006 and 2008. Because overweight and obesity rates had previously been climbing rapidly, the leveling-off is cause for optimism reports Nemours in the March 2010 edition of Health Affairs, a peer-reviewed publication and the country's most respected health policy journal.

3 Mar 2010

Researchers face variety of barriers to addressing obesity in children

The US is facing many challenges in controlling the childhood obesity epidemic. Despite recent efforts and some progress, one third of US children are still overweight or obese. Yet research has shown that the road to obesity begins early in life, and it is more common and difficult to address for low-income children.

2 Mar 2010

Eliminating sugary beverages and junk foods from schools may help slow childhood obesity

New policies that eliminate sugary beverages and junk foods from schools may help slow childhood obesity, according to a San Francisco State University study released today and published in the March issue of the journal Health Affairs.

2 Mar 2010

Childhood obesity prevention: Prenatal and infancy period upto age 5 crucial

Efforts to prevent childhood obesity should begin far earlier than currently thought-perhaps even before birth-especially for minority children, according to a new study that tracked 1,826 women from pregnancy through their children's first five years of life.

1 Mar 2010

Creators of Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign toast Let's Move! program

The creators of the popular Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign are toasting the new Let's Move! initiative that was unveiled by First Lady Michelle Obama. Instead of the latest celebrity sporting a white upper lip, the new ad features children – who have the most to gain from the new Let's Move! program, which aims to solve the childhood obesity problem in a generation.

26 Feb 2010