Childhood Obesity News and Research

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Childhood obesity on the rise in China

Childhood obesity is on the rise in China, and children and parents there tend to underestimate body weight, according to Penn State health policy researchers.

7 Aug 2012

Childhood obesity could be related to growing problems with infertility

A dramatic increase in childhood obesity in recent decades may have impacts that go beyond the usual health concerns - it could be disrupting the timing of puberty and ultimately lead to a diminished ability to reproduce, especially in females.

1 Aug 2012

Obesity and heart disease risk in children: an interview with Joana Kist-van Holthe

'What defines obesity in children' is a very important question, primarily because we need to use one definition in order to be able to compare the prevalence of obesity in different countries. It is also important to have a single definition in order to evaluate whether interventions are successful or not.

31 Jul 2012

High in-utero magnetic field levels may increase risk of obese or overweight in childhood

In-utero exposure to relatively high magnetic field levels was associated with a 69 percent increased risk of being obese or overweight during childhood compared to lower in-utero magnetic field levels, according to a Kaiser Permanente study that appears in the current online version of Nature's Scientific Reports.

30 Jul 2012

Brown fat fuels fight against obesity

Experts may have found a new method for assessing adipose tissue function that could be used in the fight against obesity.

26 Jul 2012

Scientists use inactive, fat rats to study juvenile obesity

Childhood obesity has nearly tripled in the past three decades, and by 2009, 17 percent of those 2-19 years of age were classified as obese. If actions against childhood obesity do not take place it is likely that today's children could be the first generation in over a century to experience a decline in life expectancy due to the epidemic of childhood obesity which leads to complications in later life.

25 Jul 2012

Two thirds of obese children have heart disease risk factors

Two out of three severely obese kids already have at least one risk factor for heart disease, suggests research published online in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

24 Jul 2012

Study reveals 50% increased risk of urothelial and colorectal cancers in adulthood

Parents are increasingly conscious of the dangers of childhood obesity. There is a growing recognition of health problems associated with extra pounds, including the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and joint and muscle pain.

24 Jul 2012

TV watching increases waist size and reduces sporting ability in children

Each hour of TV watched by a two- to four-year- old contributes to his or her waist circumference by the end of grade 4 and his or her ability to perform in sports, according to a world-first study undertaken by researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated Saint-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital.

16 Jul 2012

A person's circle of friends may influence his or her weight

A Loyola study of high school students provides new evidence that a person's circle of friends may influence his or her weight.

10 Jul 2012

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AJPM introduce Childhood Obesity Challenge

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have announced the launch of the Childhood Obesity Challenge, a competition that aims to promote creative and innovative solutions to childhood obesity outside the standard framework of scientific research publications.

6 Jul 2012

Puberty age pitches testicular cancer risk

Males who start puberty later than their peers may have a decreased risk for testicular cancer, show study findings.

2 Jul 2012

Racial and ethnic composition of community associated with obesity risk

The racial and ethnic composition of a community is associated with the obesity risk of individuals living within the community, according to a study led by researchers at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

28 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Look who's worried about activist judges now; No matter what the court decides, a bipartisan plan will be needed

It's a great pleasure, in this week when the entire political world is hanging on the Supreme Court's health care ruling, to welcome so many liberals to a cause dear to my heart: The crusade for judicial restraint.

28 Jun 2012

Exposure to phthalates may raise childhood obesity risk

Obese children have higher exposure to phthalates than nonobese children, suggest results presented at ENDO 2012 in Houston, Texas, USA, the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society.

27 Jun 2012

Obese children show greater exposure to phthalates

Obese children show greater exposure than nonobese children to a phthalate, a chemical used to soften plastics in some children's toys and many household products, according to a new study, which found that the obesity risk increases according to the level of the chemical found in the bloodstream.

27 Jun 2012

Researchers examine how parenting style is associated with sedentary behaviour

In two studies published in a special issue of the journal Early Child Development and Care devoted to "Parental Influences of Childhood Obesity", researchers examine how parenting style - whether a strict but loving parent or a less-involved and more permissive parent - was associated with sedentary behaviour.

27 Jun 2012