Childhood Obesity News and Research

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State-level education policy essential to reverse childhood obesity

The new issue of The State Education Standard, the journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), examines how education policymakers can best address childhood obesity in school settings.

14 Oct 2009

This Halloween GOT MILK? asks children to make healthier choices

This Halloween, with the help of GOT MILK?, children across California will pledge to not be tricked into bingeing on candy and sweets on All Hallow's Eve.

12 Oct 2009

New U.S. agricultural research institute launched; global food aid examined

The Obama administration recently launched the National Institute of Food (NIFA), "a new agricultural research institute ... but farm lobbyists and others warned that its success depends on whether Congress agrees to substantially increase funding for farm research," Government Executive reports.

12 Oct 2009

Web-based TV program to focus on holistic lifestyle

The outcome of the current healthcare legislation is uncertain, but one matter is clear: Americans need to get healthier. From childhood obesity to alarming rates of clinical depression among adults, people across the U.S. have been confronted with the consequences of lives off-balance.

9 Oct 2009

Interactive fitness and food journal for kids

Back-to-school means back to hitting the books. Yet this year, one Wisconsin teacher is passing out a different kind of book to her students in grades five through eight.

8 Oct 2009

General Mills launches Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation to address obesity

Reinforcing General Mills’ on-going commitment to helping Americans achieve a healthy weight through energy balance, the company joined retailers, non-government organizations and peer food and beverage manufacturers today to launch the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF).

6 Oct 2009

BMI training course launched by Anthem Blue Cross to tackle childhood obesity

In a continued effort to keep screening for childhood obesity at the forefront, Anthem Blue Cross' State Sponsored Business launched an innovative on-line Body Mass Index (BMI) training course featuring a virtual BMI wheel and web-based interactive practice sessions to help provide hands-on experience.

3 Oct 2009

Peanuts can help control obesity in children

A landmark study published in Obesity shows that, 80% of high-risk adolescents decreased or maintained weight, while almost 65% of the control group gained at one year.

1 Oct 2009

AAP receives grant to promote awareness on childhood obesity

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announces that it has been awarded a $250,000 grant from MetLife Foundation, to promote community and regional approaches to obesity prevention. Through the grant, AAP will launch two national grant programs, which are focused on encouraging both established pediatricians and pediatricians-in-training to develop collaborative methods to educate communities about the health effects of childhood obesity.

29 Sep 2009

AET-GPB educate Americans on the risks of childhood obesity

Aetna and Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) have kicked off a 12-month statewide multi-media campaign to raise awareness of the increased risks of childhood obesity.

28 Sep 2009

AETNA's nutrition program to counter childhood obesity

Aetna Better Health, formerly Aetna Medicaid and CHIP Services, today announced an eight-week nutrition and exercise program for children at the North Fort Worth Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth. The pilot program, named ACTIVATE Kids, was created to educate children on the risks of childhood obesity.

26 Sep 2009

Intervention program helps children live healthier lives: Study

A new Iowa State University study found that a family, school and community intervention program helps children live healthier lives and could be a new tool in the fight against the nation's childhood obesity epidemic.

26 Sep 2009

NIDDK grants HealthPartners Research Foundation $7.3M to study childhood obesity

Three new HealthPartners Research Foundation studies will examine ways to prevent and treat childhood obesity and hypertension. One study will look at interventions to prevent obesity in children ages 5-9, another will focus on obesity prevention in children ages 2-5, while another will examine hypertension in children and adolescents, including the quality and cost of care.

21 Sep 2009

$650 million funding from HHS to benefit black and Latino communities

The health of the nation's black and Latino communities stands to get a significant shot in the arm from the $650 million in health and wellness funding announced this afternoon by the Department of Health and Human Services, according to PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy organization.

18 Sep 2009

CCPHA research reveals the serious health risks of drinking soda

While health officials have long suspected the link between obesity and soda consumption, research released today provides the first scientific evidence of the potent role soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages play in fueling California’s expanding girth.

17 Sep 2009

Color-coded BMI charts help easy analysis of child's weight

A new study shows that parents are more likely to understand a body mass index (BMI) chart if it's color-coded, like a traffic light, than the standard charts currently in use.

16 Sep 2009

Communities can make an impact on childhood obesity rates

Parents strive to help children stay fit and healthy. Now, a new report says local government should do its part, too.

14 Sep 2009

Obama's interview on health and fitness priorities to be published in a health magazine

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak candidly about health and fitness priorities for the country and their family in exclusive interviews that will appear in the October 2009 issues of Men’s Health and Women’s Health, respectively. The October issues hit newsstands on Tuesday, September 15.

14 Sep 2009

HHS, Ad Council and Warner Bros unite to address childhood obesity

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Ad Council today launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to address childhood overweight and obesity.

11 Sep 2009

Low self-esteem in children may lead to adult obesity

Previous research has shown that low self-esteem and emotional problems are found in people who are overweight or obese- but not which influences which. Research published today in the open access journal BMC Medicine, sheds light on this issue showing that children with emotional difficulties are at higher risk for obesity in adult life.

11 Sep 2009