A study by researchers in British Columbia, Canada, has found that increased physical education classes don't improve body mass index (BMI) for schoolchildren.

"[Dr. Kevin] Harris said researchers looked at 13 trials of six months to three years in which pre- and post-BMI measurements were taken. In studies involving nearly 10,000 children, primarily in elementary schools, none demonstrated a reduction in BMI with those who were assigned to the most phys-ed time, compared to those who didn't have as much."

The information, which was presented at the Canadian Pediatric Society conference in Victoria, is expected to diminish hopes that more school-based phys-ed classes would have been a cure-all for childhood obesity. While increased physical activity in school does have tremendous health benefits for children, it appears weight loss may not be one of them. Source: The Vancouver Sun

Labels: body_mass_index, physical_education, schools

A team from the National Institutes of Health recently reported that the current teen generation is likely to be the first generation whose life expectancy will not increase. This fact is largely due, they say, to the surge in childhood obesity.

"'Obesity prevention starts prenatally,' [Mary Margaret Gottesman, RN, PhD, CPNP, PNP] says. 'Although we don't understand exactly the mechanism, we have found that maternal overweight is a big predictor of overweight children.'"

Gottesman and others recommend that nurses, who perform height and weight checks during office visits, should input the data into a BMI (body mass index) calculator and keep an on-going record of each child's BMI, alerting a parent or guardian if the child is at risk of becoming overweight or obese. She also supports nutritional discussions with the whole family during wellness check-ups. Read more at News.Nurse.com.

Labels: body_mass_index, lifestyle, prevention

When a child is diagnosed as being overweight or obese, the first thing parents often think is that they have to help their kid lose weight. But, surprisingly, many experts say that the first goal is simply to not gain anymore weight.

"If you remember that your child is going to keep getting taller as he approaches and goes through puberty, it makes it easy to understand why simply not gaining weight can be helpful. Even if your overweight child isn't losing weight, as long as he isn't gaining weight or at least isn't gaining weight as quickly, he can slim out and reach a healthy BMI as he gets taller."

Once a child has met his goal of not gaining weight for a few months, you can work with a pediatrician to set actual weight loss goals. Read more at Pediatrics.About.com.

Specialty high school boarding schools can help kids with emotional or behavioral issues. Oakley School is a private boarding school near Park City, Utah.

Labels: body_mass_index, puberty, weight_loss

It's easy to blame schools for the childhood obesity epidemic. After all, until recently, unhealthy snacks and beverages were available to children both during the school day and after school. But according to new research from Ohio State University, school provides a structured environment similar to the workweek for adults, in which students have less access to food, healthier choices of food, and more activity than they do at home.

The study used data from a survey of over 5,000 students throughout the United States and found that BMI measurements of overweight children rose more than three times faster during summer vacation than during the school year. Interestingly, those with racial and ethnic predisposition for obesity had higher BMIs than those without racial and ethnic predisposition only during the summer - not during the school year.

Study authors conclude that while schools can do a better job in teaching children about healthy food and activity choices, the major part of the childhood obesity problem lies outside of school.

Labels: body_mass_index, education, schools