Childhood Obesity News and Research

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Kraft Asia Pacific has missed a golden opportunity to show leadership in the battle against childhood obesity

Australian Medical Association President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that Kraft Asia Pacific has missed a golden opportunity to show leadership in the battle against the epidemic of childhood obesity by not following its US counterpart and modifying advertising of its products to children under the age of 12.

19 Jan 2005

School strategies to combat obesity epidemic

Skyrocketing obesity among young children and the ways in which schools can help address the epidemic, as well as educating students about healthy lifestyles, is the focus of the newest edition of the State Education Standard, the journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education.

12 Jan 2005

Who's to blame for obese kids?

Most Americans endorse public efforts to reduce childhood obesity but don't want to do so through taxes or regulation, a new survey reveals.

30 Dec 2004

British parents admit responsibility lies with them to tackle childhood obesity

More than 80% of parents say that they intend to be more accountable for their child's weight and four in five believe that measures set out in the Government's White Paper last week would go a long way to help them combat obesity in their children.

29 Nov 2004

Strong relationship between kids academic achievement and fitness

The health benefits of exercise – across the lifespan – have been well documented. More recently, scientists have begun to demonstrate that exercise also may improve cognitive functioning in older adults.

19 Oct 2004

Mothers must breastfeed for at least four months without using formula to reduce obesity risk in preschool children

Pediatric obesity researchers from Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have found that for breastfeeding to reduce the risk of obesity in preschool children, mothers must breastfeed for at least four months without using formula or for at least six months if they are also formula feeding.

13 Oct 2004

Survey results show significant positive impact on quality of care from use of PDAs in pediatric practice

Survey results released today in time for the American Academy of Pediatrics 2004 National Conference & Exhibition show significant positive impact on quality of care from use of PDAs in pediatric practice.

7 Oct 2004

A child's risk of becoming obese may begin before birth and continue throughout infancy

A child's risk of becoming obese may begin before birth and continue throughout infancy and early childhood - critical periods for cellular growth and development, according to research results discussed during a national conference and outlined in the October supplement to Pediatrics.

4 Oct 2004

Parents' injury fears stop kids playing sports

More than a quarter of parents of primary school-aged children stop or discourage their children playing sports because of injury fears, new research has found.

29 Sep 2004

Charles Darwin University is responding to claims that Australians are now among the fattest people on earth

Australia's Charles Darwin University is responding to claims that Australians are now among the fattest people on earth with a health program targeting childhood obesity.

29 Sep 2004

Overweight children up to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke before age of 65

Overweight children are three to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke before they reach the age of 65 warns the World Heart Federation, an NGO dedicated to the prevention of heart disease and stroke, on World Heart Day, Sunday 26th September 2004.

20 Sep 2004

First ever analysis of body mass index (BMI) data at the school, district, county and state level

The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement has released a report that provides the first-ever analysis of body mass index (BMI) data at the school, school district, county and state level.

7 Sep 2004

Preschoolers' still getting too much added sugar and juice and not enough fruits and vegetables

Preschoolers' diet quality improved marginally between 1977 and 1998 but they are still getting too much added sugar and juice and not enough fruits and vegetables a recent study shows.

29 Aug 2004

Children should be screened for high blood pressure at age 3

A new report from The National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on Children calls attention to the role of hypertension in the current epidemic of obesity in children, and underscores the need for intervention.

3 Aug 2004

Importance of physical education in schools to combat childhood obesity

A University of Newcastle, Australia, academic has received a national award for his research into the importance of physical education in schools to combat childhood obesity.

29 Jul 2004

Computerised treatment for teaching obese teenagers how to eat healthily

Researchers from the University of Bristol have embarked upon a trial to test an innovative computerised treatment for teaching obese teenagers how to eat healthily.

23 Jul 2004

BMA unhappy that OFCOM has not recommended a ban on all food advertising to children

"OFCOM's own research clearly states that TV advertising has an effect on children's eating habits, yet they refuse to recommend a ban. We are in the midst of an obesity epidemic and must use all the tools in our armoury to prevent the next generation of British children being the most obese in history."

22 Jul 2004

Children and adolescents who consistently watch television for 2 hours or more a day are at an increased risk of being overweight

Children and adolescents who consistently watch television for 2 hours or more a day are at an increased risk of being overweight, to smoke, and to have high cholesterol concentrations in early adulthood—substantial risk factors for long-term health problems in later life—conclude authors of a study from New Zealand in this week’s issue of THE LANCET.

15 Jul 2004

Obese parents are the greatest influence for childhood obesity

Having obese parents is the factor that most increases the likelihood of childhood obesity, according to Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

9 Jul 2004

First study to examine the probability of obesity in preschoolers according to their mother’s weight early in her pregnancy

Maternal obesity in early pregnancy more than doubles a child’s risk of obesity at 2 to 4 years of age, according to an article by a researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., published in the July issue of Pediatrics.

7 Jul 2004