Search Results for "childhood obesity "

Reframing Childhood Obesity Through a Cultural Lens


Latino family eating dinner.

In the last few years, childhood obesity has become a global epidemic. The effort to change individual choices – like diet and physical activity – hasn’t solved the problem, and also contributes to weight discrimination. That is why we need to use cultural insights, nutritional science, and a systemic focus to improve child health, according to a new report from the Vanderbilt University Cultural Context of Health and Wellbeing Initiative. “What we label ‘obesity’ is produced by interrelated systems in which human biology interacts with environments, social norms, economic structures, and historical legacies,” according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation blog post about the report, Reframing Childhood Obesity: Cultural Insights on Nutrition, Weight and Food ...

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Study: Air Pollution Linked to Childhood Obesity in Latinos


Air Pollution Childhood Obesity Latinos

Latinos suffer from toxic pollution in the air at higher rates than their white peers, and it can lead to many harmful side effects. University of Colorado Boulder researchers just added another side effect to that list: Childhood obesity in those whose mothers were exposed to air pollution during pregnancy. Study authors say their findings reveal air pollution’s disproportionate impact on communities of color — the same communities that suffer a lack of access to healthy food and barriers to safe places for physical activity, which contribute to America’s obesity epidemic. “Higher rates of obesity among certain groups in our society are not simply a byproduct of personal choices like exercise and calories in, calories out. It’s more complicated than that,” said ...

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New Online Tool Aims to Combat Childhood Obesity Crisis


kids play soccer

One in five children struggles with obesity in America today. Worse, this trend impacts over 25% of Latino kids, which is more than their white and black peers, according to Trust for America’s Health’s newest State of Obesity report. In an effort to combat those numbers, the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) recently released its Measures Registry, Measure Registry User Guides, and Measures Registry Learning Modules platform. “NCCOR’s goal in introducing these Learning Modules is to provide a useful resource for those in the field,” the group states in a recent press release. “The Modules highlight key concepts…making it easier to understand measurement issues in the four major domains of the Measures Registry: individual diet, food ...

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The Dire Impact of Childhood Obesity on Mental Health


obese overweight latino girl sad mental health

You probably know obesity is bad for a child's health. But did you know obesity takes a toll on children's minds, too? An overweight or obese child has three times the risk for depression in adulthood as a normal-weight child. Risk rises four times for children who are overweight or obese in both childhood and adulthood, according to a new study, CBS News reports. Sadly, Latinos suffer high rates of both obesity and mental health conditions. That is why knowing the facts—and having the resources available can alter the effects of obesity on mental health—can lead child to a healthy lifestyle. The Facts on Obesity Childhood obesity is defined as a diagnosis for any child (same sex and age) "with a Body Mass Index at or above the 95th percentile", according to the Center ...

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Study: Antibiotics Linked to Latino Childhood Obesity Risk


hispanic baby toddler teeth tooth smile

Childhood obesity is a serious problem facing our country, especially among Latinos who have far less healthy weights than their non-Latino peers. A new study has found an unlikely, controversial source for Latino childhood obesity: Antibiotic exposure. Exposing a child to antibiotics before the age 6 months increases the risk of obesity by age 2 for Latino infants in low-income urban communities, according to an article published in the journal Childhood Obesity. Study authors determined that antibiotics might have “harmful effects … on the healthy gut microbiome” during the early period of development for young children. This could increase the risk of obesity as they get older. “The work by [Drs. Annette Ville, Janet Wojcicki, and others at the University of ...

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En Español: Latino Childhood Obesity Research, Infographics, Videos


healthier schools physical activity spanish espanol

Four new Spanish-language sets of research briefs, animated videos, and infographics explore causes of and solutions to Latino childhood obesity, as researched by Salud America!, a national prevention network at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Spanish materials, released in English earlier in 2016, address critical reasons why Latino children are more obese or overweight than their peers. The materials also feature evidence-based tactics working to reverse the epidemic. Healthy Weight / Peso Saludable One of four U.S. kids is already overweight or obese by age 2-5, with a higher rate among Latino kids (30%) than white kids (21%). How can Latino kids achieve a healthy weight by kindergarten? Reseña Tematica ...

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Tips On Healthy Eating During National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month



The PEW Charitable Trusts is encouraging parents to eat with their kids during September and bring awareness to healthy eating during National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Here are some tips to help students know their parents, grandparents or family members support them in healthy eating. Make a date! Enjoy lunch with your child to see exactly what is offered in school meals and show support to school staff and students who are making healthy meal choices. This can help support mindful eating as well, giving students a warm supportive environment for healthy food choices. School meal for dinner? Yes, that's right! Ask your school nutrition director for a recipe your child might like and make it at home for dinner. This gives children a way to get involved and parents a ...

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Support for AmeriCorps to Help Prevent Childhood Obesity in Vermont



Having access to clean drinkable water and healthy fresh foods is vital in ensuring children grow up to be a healthy weight. New funds from the state's congressional delegation recently announced that $2.1 million in funds will go to help position new AmeriCorps members into volunteer services for the state. One organization called the Washington County Youth Service Bureau Boys and Girls Club, will help to ensure children of veteran and military families grow up to be a healthy weight. They  will receive $325,000 for 26 volunteers, that will help to implement initiatives to help prevent childhood obesity in the state. More funds will also be used to help position AmeriCorps members in addressing problems in affordable housing, water quality, and veteran affairs. To ...

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The Urgency in Preventing Childhood Obesity with Physical Activity



Early recognition of overweight and obesity, by family and physicians, is crucial, particularly among Latino kids who have higher rates of obesity than whites. However, many Latinos don't understand how urgent childhood obesity is because of confusion between overweight and obesity and confusion about what obesity actually looks like. Parents Underestimate Child's Risk Parents, in particular, are often unable to correctly identify their child's weight status, thus underestimating their risk for many life-threatening diseases. Additional confusion, that leads to underestimation of health risk associated with obesity, is related to cultural beliefs that big babies are healthier than small babies, and that kids will "grow out of" obesity. Children don't "Grow Out of" ...

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