Scientists warn childhood obesity epidemic may lead to much shorter lifespans
US News & World Report Nov 12, 08 4:19 AM CST
(Newser)
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Arteries of seriously overweight teenagers are as clogged as those of middle-aged people, according to US News & World Report . Researchers used ultrasound to measure the neck arteries of chubby kids at risk of heart trouble and were alarmed to find that their "vascular age" was an average of three decades higher than their real age.
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Mediterranean diet dumped for fast food and growing girths
New York Times Sep 24, 08 5:52 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The much-vaunted Mediterranean diet is falling out of favor fast around the Mediterranean —and obesity rates are rocketing, the New York Times reports. Greek men are now the fattest people in Europe by far as the traditional diet high in vegetables and fish but low in meat is replaced by pizza and burgers in even the smallest towns.
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Condition may lead to organ failure; weight loss can help: experts
Associated Press Sep 8, 08 4:16 PM CDT
(AP)
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In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teens have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants, the AP reports. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in kids in the US, Europe, Australia and some developing countries. Experts warn that pediatricians to be more vigilant.
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Dangerously chubby children may end up in social service system
Independent (UK) Aug 16, 08 5:47 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Local government leaders in Britain warn that they may need to take drastic action to protect the health of dangerously overweight children—including taking them away from their parents, the Independent reports. They predict that a million British children will be clinically obese within four years, and that the social service system may have to take charge of caring for children in the worst cases.
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Children in study had harder time feeling full
BBC Jul 28, 08 9:46 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Children who carry a version of a gene linked to obesity have a more difficult time telling when they're full, researchers have found. Earlier studies discovered that adults with two copies of the higher obesity risk version of the FTO gene were nearly 7 pounds heavier than a control group. The new research found that children with the risky variant tended to overeat because their appetites didn't switch off.
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Critics say it's a poor substitute for good diet and exercise
New York Times Jul 26, 08 12:33 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Doctors are prescribing drugs to more and more children to treat conditions related to obesity, the New York Times reports. Data released by pharmacy plans show that medication for Type 2 diabetes has seen the biggest increase—151% from 2001 to last year. And this month, a pediatricians group recommended cholesterol-lowering drugs for kids as young as 8.
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Most get just 30 minutes exercise a day
HealthDay News Jul 16, 08 9:59 AM CDT
(Newser)
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American children stop getting enough exercise by the time they reach their teens, according to a new study. Researchers tracked more than 1,000 children and discovered that those who averaged three hours of exercise a day at age 9 barely managed 30 minutes of physical activity at 15, reports HealthDay. A lack of exercise is linked to childhood obesity. Experts recommend children get at least an hour a day of moderate to vigorous activity.
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New rules advise testing as young as 2, treating with statins at 8
New York Times Jul 7, 08 6:49 AM CDT
(Newser)
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With 30% of US children overweight, pediatricians are now recommending cholesterol screenings for kids as young as 2, and the use of cholesterol-fighting drugs in youngsters 8 and up, in order to stave off diabetes and early heart attacks. Some 30%-60% of children with high cholesterol aren’t being treated, the American Academy of Pediatrics says, and those with family histories of cardiovascular problems should be screened and treated.
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Researchers report
first 'glimmer of hope'
in decades
Washington Post May 27, 08 6:09 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The rate of childhood obesity appears to have peaked, providing the first "glimmer of hope" on the problem in decades, federal researchers say. About 15% of kids ages 2 to 19 are obese, a slight decrease from the percentage in 1999, the Washington Post reports. It's the first time since the 1980s that the percentage has not gone up, though researchers cautioned that far too many kids face serious health risks because of their weight.
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Pediatrician slams
Indy film's
junk food tie-ins
Salon May 21, 08 5:21 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Indiana Jones has a new enemy. Pediatrician Rahul Parikh is irritated about Indy's marketing tie-ins to high-calorie foods like Burger King's "Indy Double Whopper" and Snicker's "Adventure Bar." Parikh has been enjoying the films of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg for decades, but he's also watching kids grow obese, thanks in part to fatty food marketing, he writes in Salon.
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OPINION
Backlash against oversheltering kids gains some traction
Los Angeles Times May 16, 08 5:48 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Using the flap over a New York 9-year-old allowed to find his own way home from Bloomingdale's as an example of a sea change, Rosa Brooks, writing in the Los Angeles Times, reminds us that allowing children to be outside on their own used to be the norm. "'Play,' incidentally, is a mysterious activity children engage in when not compelled to spend every hour under adult supervision," she writes.
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Percentage highest in survey's history; rise greatest among African-Americans
Associated Press Apr 30, 08 7:07 PM CDT
(Newser)
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About 77% of new mothers breast-feed, the highest percentage since the CDC began taking surveys 20 years ago. The agency cites public-awareness campaigns about its health benefits for the rise, noting that only 60% of mothers breast-fed in 1994, the AP reports. Changing cultural attitudes that accommodate the practice also might be responsible, a CDC spokesman said. "It looks like an all-time high."
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Also tied to behavioral problems
Boston Globe Apr 8, 08 7:56 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Babies who get less than 12 hours of shut-eye a day double their risk of being overweight by the time they're 3 years old, a new study finds. The risk is even higher for little ones who watch two hours of TV a day, the Daily Telegraph reports. If habits aren't changed, more than 25% of all children are expected to be obese by 2050, experts warn.
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