Childhood Obesity News and Research

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Fetal macrosomia may be linked to overweight and obesity in early childhood

A new study published in the Journal Reproductive and Developmental Medicine (RDM) has found a strong association between fetal macrosomia (high birth weight) and overweight and obesity in early childhood among the U.S.-born children aged 2-6 years.

15 Dec 2023

Light physical activity can be a powerful tool for combating childhood obesity

Increased sedentary time from childhood through young adulthood caused increased body fat and abdominal fat in a new follow-up study.

15 Dec 2023

Light activity holds promise for combating childhood obesity

Increased sedentary time from childhood through young adulthood caused increased body fat and abdominal fat in a new follow-up study.

13 Dec 2023

Study exposes tobacco smoke's alarming impact on breast milk, elevating toxic elements

Study reveals that both active and passive tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy or lactation significantly increases the levels of toxic micro-elements like mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic in breast milk, posing serious health risks to infants.

27 Nov 2023

Plant-based diets regulate gestational weight gain in early pregnancy

The study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that Iranian pregnant women adhering to plant-based diets had a lower risk of inadequate gestational weight gain, with no significant association observed between these diets and excessive gestational weight gain.

14 Nov 2023

Diet and sedentary behavior influence adiposity in obese children, study finds

The relationship between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and diet quality

8 Nov 2023

Childhood obesity in England could be curbed with systematic interventions, study suggests

The potential effects of systematically delivering obesity management interventions on the prevalence of childhood obesity in England.

3 Nov 2023

New study links prenatal chemical exposure to childhood obesity trajectories

Connections between prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and the growth patterns of children's BMI.

20 Oct 2023

Prenatal exposure to EDCs linked to accelerated BMI gain in children

A new study led by researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center supported by the "la Caixa Foundation" has shed light on the influence that Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) can have on children's growth during their early years.

18 Oct 2023

Parents alone can tackle childhood obesity just as effectively as whole-family interventions, new study shows

The study published in the International Journal of Obesity systematically reviews the effectiveness of parent-only group-based interventions for managing childhood obesity and related health behaviors. It concludes that parent-only programs are similarly effective to family-focused interventions in improving a child's weight and BMI, but highlights challenges like higher dropout rates and the need for strong family support.

15 Oct 2023

Study highlights ways to identify children at high risk of type 2 diabetes and prevention strategies

A new Journal of the Endocrine Society study highlights how to identify children at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and strategies for prevention, such as anti-obesity or anti-diabetes medication and lifestyle changes.

12 Oct 2023

Can teachers be the secret weapon in the fight against childhood obesity?

A recent study demonstrates that teachers equipped with nutrition education resources can effectively combat childhood obesity in underserved areas. The research highlights the need for professional development programs that enhance teacher well-being and self-efficacy, emphasizing their vital role as agents of change in public health.

17 Sep 2023

Experts warn of unintended consequences of using GLP-1RAs to treat childhood obesity

A team of clinicians, exercise scientists, pharmaceutical scholars, ethicists and behavioral experts at the University of California, Irvine, outlined their concerns that the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) to treat childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes may have unintended and adverse consequences for children's health.

28 Aug 2023

Maternal obesity linked to childhood weight issues through DNA changes

Boston Birth Cohort study finds that maternal pre-pregnancy obesity alters newborn DNA methylation, potentially increasing the risk of obesity in the child. The research targets high-risk U.S. demographics and could guide future interventions for childhood obesity.

27 Aug 2023

Social media and the internet: Top concerns for parents of school-age children

As children head back to school, two issues have climbed higher on their parents' list of concerns: the role of social media and the internet in kids' lives.

21 Aug 2023

New insights into severe obesity genetics: Evidence from adults seeking treatment reveals intriguing oligogenic patterns

Researchers explore the prevalence of rare genetic forms of obesity in a United Kingdom-based clinical obesity cohort.

14 Aug 2023

Moving to polluted areas can lead to weight gain in kids

A large natural experiment in Catalonia shows that moving to areas with higher levels of air pollution is associated with weight gain in young children.

1 Aug 2023

Tackling obesity in children with heart disease

Childhood is a window of opportunity to tackle obesity before the damage it causes is irreversible, according to a scientific statement by experts on heart disease and childhood obesity published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1

26 Jul 2023

$3 million NIH grant awarded to investigate the connections between maternal BMI and childhood obesity

Researchers at Michigan State University and Henry Ford Health received a $3 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases within the National Institutes of Health to study the connections between maternal body mass index, or BMI, and childhood obesity.

25 Jul 2023

Got milk in school? Farmers fight health advocates over the creamy ‘whole’ variety

Amanda Condo works at her family's Pennsylvania dairy farm, but her son often won't drink milk at school. He doesn't like the flavor.

13 Jul 2023