Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

A study from Northwestern University has found links between childhood obesity and psoriasis.

Dr. Amy Paller and her colleagues studied 211 children ages four to 17, and found that obese children had elevated C-reactive protein levels (CRP) if they had psoriasis.

"These data make evident that there is an important correlation between being overweight with moderate-to-severe psoriasis and having elevated levels of CRP," Dr. Paller said.

CRP level is a reliable marker of inflammation and psoriasis severity in adults. High CRP levels are associated with psoriasis.

This study appeared in the journal Dermatology Times.

Labels: obese-kids, psoriasis

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Obese children are more likely to suffer injuries to their lower bodies, according to a study that was conducted at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Dr. Wendy Pomerantz, an emergency room physician at the hospital, analyzed records of 23,000 ER visits by children between 2005 and 2008. Obese children were more likely to suffer lower body injuries, the most common being sprained ankles and legs.

"Other injuries that the patients experienced were fractures and lacerations," Dr. Pomerantz said. "Because obese patients have an increased body mass and force, they are more likely to twist or roll on a lower extremity and cause injury than non-obese children."

Obesity usually increases the time it takes to recover from an injury because the added weight and stress can cause more damage.

Dr. Pomerantz presented her findings at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies.

Labels: causes of childhood obesity, injuries

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The New York State Department of Health has issued a newly revised resource guide on diabetes in children. Titled Children with Diabetes: A Resource Guide for Family and Schools, the document is designed to assist families, school officials and others as they work to identify and prevent diabetes in children.

Approximately 9,000 children and youth in New York State are diagnosed with diabetes. Type 1 diabetes accounts for nearly 85 percent of diagnosed diabetes among youth. There are currently no known strategies to prevent Type 1 diabetes. (Source: EMax Health)

Diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes are also increasing in children, a trend that many experts attribute to disturbing rises in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. New York's new resource guide addresses issues related to Type 2 diabetes and helps parents, children, school staff and health care professionals devise plans for working together.

Labels: childhood_obesity, diabetes, overweight children, health_risks

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Health-care experts continually try to devise plans that will help overweight and obese children lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The latest plan has seven steps that progressively increase in intensity and level of commitment.

For behavioral therapy, the plan suggests starting with groups such as Weight Watchers or Take Off Pounds Sensibly that offer support, education and accountability and allow parents and children to work together. (Source: The Los Angeles Times)

The program referred to the in LA Times article includes the following seven stages:

1. Medical Management
2. Education
3. Environmental changes
4. Support groups
5 & 6. Two forms of cognitive behavior therapy
7. Bariatric surgery (only as a last result)

These steps are meant to be shared among parent, child, and physician so they can all work together to design and a comprehensive plan of action. Failing to address weight issues in childhood can lead to one of the many health issues facing overweight teens.

Labels: childhood_obesity, weight loss, overweight children

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Teenagers get more exercise in warm weather months, but this does not compensate for an acute drop-off in exercise time during the winter, according to a new study from Canada.

For five years, researchers monitored 1,293 Montreal-area students ages 12 and 13. The most common reason the children canceled unplanned physical activities was bad weather, but planned activities often took place regardless of weather.

The research team recommended that a "variety of activities be available in winter," both indoor and outdoor.

Weather is just the latest in a list of obstacles to exercise that have been cited for preventing young people from getting an adequate amount of healthy activity. However, many health and weight loss experts have noted that overweight young people can overcome obstacles to exercise, and can reap the many benefits that are associated with following a healthy diet and remaining physically active.

Labels: overweight children, teens, exercise

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The vast majority of American children (90 percent) drink sugar-sweetened drinks every day. Now a new study finds that replacing those drinks with water could help them reduce calorie intake and experience fewer dental problems.

Dr. Y. Claire Wang and her associates at Columbia University analyzed reports of diets from the 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of children ages two to 19. They found that the empty calories in sugary drinks accounted for more than 10 percent of the children's daily calories. Other studies have found that children and teens consume 70 percent of their soft drinks at home, and only 15 percent at school.

"The evidence is clear that replacing these 'liquid calories' with calorie-free beverage alternatives both at home and school represents a key strategy to eliminate excess calories and prevent childhood obesity," Dr. Wang said.

This study appeared in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: weight loss, overweight children, soft_drinks, studies

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It's been well established that getting kids moving can have a positive effect on their weight and health. Now, a a small study from the University of Illinois has revealed that physical exercise might also improve children's mental abilities.

Dr. Charles Hillman and his colleagues had 20 nine-year-olds take tests in spelling, reading and math after they took a 20-minute rest, and then after they exercised for 20 minutes on a treadmill.

"What we found is that following the acute bout of walking, children performed better on the flanker tasks," Dr. Hillman said. "They had a higher rate of accuracy, especially when the task was more difficult."

Performance in reading comprehension was particularly better after exercising, Dr. Hillman said.

Dr. Hillman's co-author, Darla Castelli, recommended that each elementary school child have outdoor recess every day, and 150 minutes of physical education per week. High school students should get 225 minutes of physical education per week, she said.

This study appeared in the journal Neuroscience.

Labels: exercise, students, academics, studies

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The Massachusetts legislature has unanimously agreed to a new regulation that requires public schools to send children's Body Mass Index (BMI) results home to their parents. Results will be sent home for children in first, fourth, seventh, and 10th grades.

The new rule will replace the current process of weighing children every year. Eighteen other states require a body mass index calculation, but Massachusetts joins a smaller list of states, including Arkansas, that requires schools to notify parents about it.

An eating disorder support association has expressed concern over the new regulation, pointing to the fact that many eating disorders are triggered when a child's weight is measured in school or a child is forced to go on a diet. Still, several health groups support the regulation, which will be phased into Massachusetts schools over the next 18 months.

Source: South Coast Today

Labels: legislation, schools, overweight children, body_mass_index

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A study that was conducted at the University of Michigan found that children who can't practice delayed gratification are more likely to gain weight. This was true whether their lack of control was related to food or toys.

[In the study] children were asked to choose candy, animal crackers, or pretzels as their preferred food, and [were] left alone with two plates of different quantities of the food. Children were told that they would be allowed to eat a larger quantity of the chosen food if they waited until the examiner returned. (Source: EmaxHealth)

Forty-seven percent of the children who participated in the study were unable to wait for the examiner to return - and those who displayed a limited ability to wait were 29 percent more likely to be overweight as they got older.

Researchers pointed to their findings as proof that parents need to teach the benefits of delayed gratification and model this behavior themselves.

Labels: overeating, self-control, overweight children, studies

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A study of more than 27,700 mothers found that those with negative moods and mindsets are more likely to feed their children junk foods.

Psychologist Elvind Ystrom of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health asked the mothers how often they fed their (all of whom were less than 18 months old) any of 36 different fatty and sweet foods, and then inquired about the mothers' states of mind.

"We found that mothers who were emotionally unstable, anxious, sad, angry, had poor self-confidence or a negative view of the world were far more likely to give their child sweets and fatty foods," Prof. Ystrom said. "At the same time there was no link between maternal personality and how healthy a diet the child got in the form of fruits and vegetables. & Unfortunately, we could not study the fathers."

One theory is that depressed mothers could not say "no" to their children.

This study was done in conjunction with the University of Oslo.

Labels: childhood_obesity, parenting, obese-kids, overweight children, eating-habits

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A panel of scientific advisors for the Wellspring Weight Loss Camps and schools has questioned the methods of a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study compared four popular diets, such as low carbohydrate and low fat, and found that they all produced modest weight losses after two years.

The Wellspring group asserts that the low-fat diet was not really low, because it was 26% fat. Their programs offer diets of less than 10% fat. Moreover, the Wellspring scientists noted "diets don't work. No diet can produce the changes in attitude, skills, support and behaviors that long-term weight control requires."

The Wellspring approach is an "immersion process" that uses a variety of techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, focusing, emotional awareness, stress management, and staff modeling along with control of diet and physical activity.

Labels: behaviors, long_term_weight_loss

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Babies today are 59% more likely to be overweight than those born in 1989, according to a study from Cornell University. Part of the problem is that 60% of women gain too much weight during pregnancy - a factor associated with chubbier babies.

Dr. Christine Olson, professor of community nutrition, followed 208 mothers and their children during their pregnancies. About 40% of the babies whose mothers were overweight or obese during pregnancy were overweight by age 3.

To protect babies from being overweight, Dr. Olson recommends that all women should limit their pregnancy weight gain to under 30 pounds and breastfeed their children.

Labels: overweight, fatter, babies

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Today's parents may be "overzealous, even obsessive" in their warnings to children about food, according to a report in the New York Times by Abby Ellin.

Experts in the field of nutrition say that some parents are too restrictive and "micro-manage" their children's eating, making them too anxious about what should be a natural activity. Even eight year-olds are worrying about their sodium intake and the dangers of eating meat. The problem with this kind of teaching is that parents run the risk of creating eating disorders in their children.

"We're seeing a lot of anxiety in kids," said Cynthia Bulik, director of the eating disorders program at the University of North Carolina. "They go to birthday parties and if it's not a granola cake, they feel like they can't eat it."

Lisa Dorfman, a dietician at the University of Miami, concurred.

"It's almost a fear of dying, fear of illness, like a delusional view of foods in general," she said. "I have five-year-olds who speak like 40-year-olds. They can't eat an Oreo cookie without being concerned about transfats."

Sometimes lessons at school can trigger food fears in young children, making them categorize foods as either "good" or "bad," when the operative word should be "moderation."

"All this stuff about preservatives and pesticides," said Katie Wilson, president of the School Nutrition Association. "All an eight-year-old kid should know is that he or she should eat a variety of colors and don't supersize anything but your water jug."

Labels: parents, anxiety, food-labels

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Some schools in states like Minnesota are experimenting with "standing stations" instead of desks and chairs. Standing up burns more calories and may make students feel less restless, according to their teachers. Teachers say that standing helps some students focus better, although other students find it too distracting.

The standing stations are not cheap - they cost about $250 each compared to $80 for a conventional desk and chair. Grants from the Tozer Foundation, the United Way, and some government entities are funding the experiment.

Labels: schools, exercise, standing

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Somerset County (Great Britain) is making an educational DVD available to schools, parents, and health professionals who want practical information on fighting childhood obesity.

"The 15-minute film shows ways in which children, their families and schools have worked together to promote healthy weight and wellbeing. Healthy schools coordinator Clare Laker said: 'It highlights that being overweight or obese causes many problems for children.'"

The DVD cost about $6,800 to produce and was funded through the county council and the Somerset Healthy School Programme. Source: Somerset Standard

Developed by leading researchers from the U.S. and Europe, Wellspring UK is among the most effective weight loss programmes for children and adolescents. Wellspring UK includes a Lower Camp for ages 11  18 years old, plus an Upper Camp for adults aged 18  24.

Labels: UK, schools, parents

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