Childhood Obesity News and Research

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New book provides the latest updates on obesity research

Obesity, defined as excessive fat accumulation that may impair health, has seen its prevalence increase to unprecedented levels globally, being projected to continue to rise.

29 Apr 2020

A protein discovery could pave way to better treatments for obesity

A USC-led international team of scientists has found the precise shape of a key player in human metabolism, which could lead the way to better treatments for obesity and other metabolic disease.

23 Apr 2020

Media literacy can have a positive impact on kids' nutrition, family relationships

During this pandemic when few parents can limit screen time, a new study shows that building critical media skills as a family can have a positive impact on kids' nutrition without restricting their access to TV and computers.

21 Apr 2020

Study: Early changes in microbiome development can impact health and disease later in life

A team of researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has characterized how the gut microbiome develops in the first hours of infancy, providing a critical baseline for how changes in this environment can impact health and disease later in life.

17 Apr 2020

Risks and benefits of separating infants from COVID-19-positive mothers

In a new commentary, Alison Stuebe, MD, President of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, addresses the risks and benefits of separating infants from COVID-19-positive mothers following birth.

12 Apr 2020

COVID-19-related school closures may exacerbate childhood obesity

Public health scientists predict that school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic will exacerbate the epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States.

5 Apr 2020

Factors causing childhood obesity differ for wealthier and poorer countries

Childhood obesity is not just a public health concern in western countries; it is rising across the world, particularly in poor and low-income countries.

26 Mar 2020

Obese children more prone to anxiety, depression and shortening of life

Two studies published in the journals PLOS Medicine and BMC Medicine in March 2020 show that obesity in childhood is linked to a higher risk of future anxiety, depression, and death in early adult life compared to children in the general population. This could shape efforts to detect specific risk factors that predispose children to obesity and thus prevent it.

18 Mar 2020

Biomarker in saliva linked to emergence of childhood obesity

A molecular marker in saliva is associated with the emergence of childhood obesity in a group of preschool-aged Hispanic children.

7 Mar 2020

Respiratory antivirals and risk to breastfeeding women

Little data is available about the ability of antiviral drugs used to treat COVID-19, coronavirus, to enter breastmilk, let alone the potential adverse effects on breastfeeding infants.

4 Mar 2020

Researchers take a close look at invisible communities of microbes in the mouth

Most people know that good oral hygiene - brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits - is linked to good health. Colorado State University microbiome researchers offer fresh evidence to support that conventional wisdom, by taking a close look at invisible communities of microbes that live in every mouth.

2 Mar 2020

Glucose-lowering drug reduces obesity indices in children and adolescents, study shows

A new study has shown metformin - a glucose-lowering drug commonly used to treat diabetes - to be effective at lowering some measures of obesity in children and adolescents.

18 Feb 2020

Association between HMO concentrations and infant weight, body composition

Breastfeeding affects infant growth and, researchers have found, helps prevent obesity, both in childhood and later in life. However, the components of breast milk responsible for these beneficial effects remain mostly a mystery.

18 Feb 2020

Age of puberty in girls the world over becoming lower

A new study on the age of initial breast development as the first sign of puberty in girls shows that over the last 40 years, this has come down by an average of 3 months per decade. The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.

11 Feb 2020

Research examines environmental exposures and increase in type 1 diabetes

Studies have shown a rapid increase in new cases of type 1 diabetes worldwide. However, scientists and researchers have struggled to identify a direct cause.

3 Feb 2020

Children born to mothers with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia at risk for higher BMI

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States. For children, obesity is defined as having a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18.5% of children between the ages of 2 and 19 meet this criteria.

22 Jan 2020

Study finds connection between parents' motivations and children's intake of unhealthy foods

As the countdown to a new school year begins, many parents will soon find themselves facing the often-arduous task of filling the school lunchbox which, despite the best of intentions, often ends up containing more junk food than nutrition.

21 Jan 2020

Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act has led to improvements in the quality of school meals

In a new analysis of studies conducted following the implementation of the 2010 Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, researchers find positive effects on the dietary quality of meals served to school-aged children.

14 Jan 2020

Sugar content in soft drinks has reduced by 29% in the UK, shows study

Lead researcher Lauren Bandy and her colleagues looked at the nutritional information of a range of soft drinks in the UK, including carbonated drinks, concentrates, 100% juice, juice drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and bottled water, and combined this with sales data from 2015-2018.

12 Jan 2020

Experts release new recommendations on bedsharing to promote breastfeeding

Leading experts representing The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) have released new evidence-based recommendations regarding the benefits and risks of bedsharing for mother-infant pairs who have initiated breastfeeding and are in home settings.

7 Jan 2020