Working together to discuss actions to reduce obesity in children and adolescents, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) hosted a roundtable discussion with government representatives, nongovernmental organizations and private sector groups. The discussion focused on the Plan of Action for the Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents, drawing on actions to help healthier options become the easier options. A few key points discussed were taxes on sugary beverages and junk foods, protecting children from unhealthy marketing, and food labeling, along with policy and programs for healthier foods and water access for schools and increased physical activity in schools. To see all groups and participants involved, click here. Copy & ...
According to a recent study led by Duke Clinical Research Institute childhood obesity in the United States has not declined and severe obesity remains high. Dr. Sarah Armstrong pediatrician and director of the Duke Healthy Lifestyles Program said in a recent video in regards to the childhood obesity epidemic that, "Not seeing changes in the actual numbers, as this study points out, certainly is problematic, because there have been all the efforts aimed towards it." Researchers found that 33.4 percent of children between the ages of 2 through 19 were overweight and among those 17.4 percent had obesity. The results showed the continued increase of obesity among children from 1999 through 2014. Also according to the recent article 4.5 million children and adolescents had severe ...
Childhood obesity—a condition that affects more than 39% of Latino children, can be predicted as early as 6 months of age using simple body mass index (BMI), a new study reveals. “BMI at 6, 12 or 18 months of age above the 85th percentile on the growth chart can accurately predict children at risk for early childhood obesity," says Allison Smego, MD, a fellow in the division of Endocrinology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Center and the study's lead author. "These children have a high lifetime risk for persistent obesity and metabolic disease and should be monitored closely at a very young age." For the study researchers studied lean and obese children under the age of 6 and found that the “BMI in children who become severely obese by age 6 began to differ from children who ...
Pediatrician Dr. Alejandro Clavier is working on reversing diabetes and childhood obesity for his Latino patients at Saint Anthony Hospital in Chicago. In a recent article, Dr. Clavier says,"I tell my patients that if they can remember one thing, remember to drink water," he said. Dr. Clavier explains to his patients and their families the harm of sugary drinks and encourages them to only have water and homemade juices with no sugar available for the kids at home. Latino kids experience a higher risk for diet-related diseases like diabetes, and studies show that about 74 percent of Latino children have had a sugary drink by age two. Dr. Clavier encourages healthier foods in Latino homes, telling families to choose water and to remember that nothing is worth sacrificing their ...
New research shows attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in girls can lead to childhood obesity or early adulthood obesity, CBS News reports. ADHD is on the rise among Latino kids and according to SaludAmerica! over 39 percent of Latino children are overweight or obese in the U.S. So, what’s the link between ADHD and obesity? In a 1,000 person study, Mayo Clinic researchers found girls diagnosed with ADHD “may be twice as likely to be obese in childhood or early adulthood as girls without the disorder.” Researchers point out that the abnormalities in the brain that cause ADHD can also cause eating disorders. "Girls with ADHD may not be able to control their eating and may end up overeating," said Dr. Seema Kumar, lead researcher. “Because kids with ...
Salud America!, a national Latino childhood obesity prevention program, has received a one-year, $1.3 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop new, culturally tailored educational content that empowers people to work toward policy changes for the health of Latino children. Established in 2007, Salud America!, has recruited a national online network of 50,000 parents, school personnel, health professionals, and community leaders who support its mission: “End Latino childhood obesity by communicating good health and driving people to start and assist healthy changes in their schools and communities.” Latino children ages 2-19 are more obese/overweight (38.9%) than White (28.5%) and Black (35.2%) children, studies show. They also face barriers in access to ...
According to a new research report, poverty is a better predictor of childhood obesity than race. Based on information from 110,000 Massachusetts students, a statistical model found that, as children’s families income dropped their obesity rates rose. The report found that obesity rates were higher among Latino children. The researchers suspected that a lack of parks, full-service grocery stores, and recreational programs in poorer neighborhoods may lead to children in poverty to eating unhealthier foods and exercising less. “The findings reveal differences in the inequalities in the physical and social environment in which children are raised,” said Dr. Kim Eagle, the senior study author and director at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center. “It ...
A new study suggests offering water to students may help reduce childhood obesity, CBS News reports. In the U.S. over 39% of Latino children are overweight or obese, but researchers at NYU Langone found “that thousands of New York City School children lost weight and lowered their body mass index after self-serve water dispensers were placed in schools.” “We looked at over a million kids in just over 1,200 schools in grades K-8,” Brian Elbel, study co-author and associate professor at the NYU Langone Medical Center, told CBS. “They ended up being about four or five pounds lighter after the introduction of this intervention as compared to a kid in a school that didn’t get a water jet.” According to the authors of the study when students have access to water jets ...
On December 9, 2015 the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) will host a Connect & Explore Webinar on the latest findings from the Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study (CHOICES) project, a collaborative modeling effort to provide estimates of the effectiveness, costs, and reach of interventions to reduce childhood obesity in the United States. The webinar is an opportunity to learn more about the latest findings and to hear directly from Dr. Steven Gortmaker, lead investigator of the CHOICES project. Visit the following link to register for this webinar: http://ow.ly/Uzuzn Learn more about the CHOICES project at the following ...
