childhood obesity

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Childhood Obesity Rate Levels Off

Researchers report first 'glimmer of hope' in decades

(Newser) - 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...

Indiana Jones & Raiders of the Fat Fridge

Pediatrician slams Indy film's junk food tie-ins

(Newser) - 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...

This Is 'Playing.' This Is 'Outside.'
This Is 'Playing.' This Is 'Outside.'
OPINION
May 16, 2008 5:48 PM CDT

This Is 'Playing.' This Is 'Outside.'

Backlash against oversheltering kids gains some traction

(Newser) - 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,...

77% of US Moms Breast-Feed
 77% of US Moms Breast-Feed 
Apr 30, 2008 7:07 PM CDT

77% of US Moms Breast-Feed

Percentage highest in survey's history; rise greatest among African-Americans

(Newser) - 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...

Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity
 Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity 
Apr 8, 2008 7:56 AM CDT

Baby Zzzs Linked to Obesity

Also tied to behavioral problems

(Newser) - 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...

Britain to Pay Citizens to Lose Flab
Britain to Pay Citizens to
Lose Flab
Jan 24, 2008 10:31 AM CST

Britain to Pay Citizens to Lose Flab

Experts say if trends continue, most Brits will be obese by 2050

(Newser) - With British waistlines bulging and no end in sight for the obesity crisis, the government has come up with a plan: offer cash incentives to workers who slim down. Employers will host competitions, with prizes going to those who shed the most, the Daily Telegraph reports. The Well@Work plan includes...

Parents Blind to Their Fat Kids
Parents Blind to Their Fat Kids
Dec 25, 2007 3:20 PM CST

Parents Blind to Their Fat Kids

Only 13% recognize when their child is obese

(Newser) - Nearly half the parents of severely overweight children ages 6 to 11 said their child was “about the right weight,” and only 13% recognized that their child had a severe problem, says a University of Michigan study. The results indicate parents think children will “grow out” of...

Fat Kids Risk Adult Heart Health
Fat Kids Risk Adult Heart Health
Dec 6, 2007 5:29 AM CST

Fat Kids Risk Adult Heart Health

Risks remains even if children shed extra pounds

(Newser) - Overweight kids significantly increase their risk their heart disease later in life, a new study has found. Those who carried extra pounds between the ages of 7 and 13 were much more likely to develop heart disease between 25 and 71 even if they were slightly overweight and possibly even...

New Guidelines Target Child Obesity

Strict measures aim to reduce number of overweight kids

(Newser) - The most stringent guidelines to date for combating childhood obesity recommend yearly weight checks and possibly even medication or surgery for kids who can't combat the condition on their own, USA Today reports. Doctors should also keep normal-weight kids apprised of the ins and outs of healthy living, a panel...

Kids' Bones Growing Brittle
 Kids' Bones Growing Brittle
Nov 27, 2007 4:13 AM CST

Kids' Bones Growing Brittle

Lack of milk, sun and exercise blamed for rickets and loss of bone mass

(Newser) - Kids today break their arms more often than children did 40 years ago, and experts say it's because their bones are getting weaker, AP reports. A lack of milk, sunshine and exercise means many children aren't building adequate bone mass, and in extreme cases are developing bone-softening rickets, the scourge...

Kids Will Eat Healthier School Lunches

Study of Minn. schools shows they don't have to cost more, either

(Newser) - Low-fat turkey hot dogs, fruits, and veggies aren't the lunchtime turn-off many assume, a study of Minnesota school districts finds. Sure, students prefer fattier lunches, but demand doesn't drop and cost doesn't rise when they're dished up healthier meals. Although labor expenses typically increase, the savings from abandoning processed foods...

Sleep-Deprived Kids Pack on the Pounds

Lack of down time correlates with childhood obesity

(Newser) - Kids who get plenty of sleep could be lowering their chances of becoming obese. For each extra hour third-graders in a newly released study spent sleeping, they lowered their chance of becoming obese by sixth grade by 40%. The results could have to do with the effect of sleep on...

Britain to Fight Fat in 'Fit Towns'

Government would broaden eco-friendly schemes to address health concerns

(Newser) - In light of dire predictions about the cost of the obesity crisis, England wants 10 previously planned eco-friendly towns to also combat obesity by promoting healthy lifestyles, the Guardian reported today. Among the proposals: more bike lanes; safe walking routes to school and the downtown area; larger and more modern...

Anti-Obesity Ad Tap-Taps Craig's Bathroom Tryst

Anti-obesity campaign says Senators are on the 'gravy train'

(Newser) - “It’s their dirty little secret,” the commercial's voiceover says, as a well-dressed man taps his foot in a bathroom stall. And though Larry Craig’s name is never uttered, his airport indiscretion is obviously the latest target of an unlikely source—childhood obesity advocates knocking congressmen who...

Nickelodeon Unplugs the Tube
Nickelodeon Unplugs
the Tube
Sep 28, 2007 2:05 PM CDT

Nickelodeon Unplugs the Tube

Urges kids to get out and play during 3-hour shutdown tomorrow

(Newser) - For years, parents have been telling kids to turn off the TV, go outside and play. Now, Nickelodeon is turning the tube off for them, broadcasting three hours of dead air starting at noon tomorrow, during which they hope kids will go outside and get some exercise. It’s part...

American Kids' Blood Pressure Creeps Up

Obesity epidemic fallout foreshadows serious health troubles

(Newser) - The ranks of US children with dangerously high blood pressure and hypertension have been growing for 20 years, reversing a decades-long trend, says a new study that tracks the effects of youth obesity. Hypertension, which usually doesn't develop until patients are in their 30s or 40s, is a leading cause...

Obese Toddlers: Too Many Calories, Too Little Iron

Parents should wean children, feed them meat, eggs, study says

(Newser) - Overweight toddlers are more than twice as likely to have iron deficiencies as their skinnier counterparts, with Hispanics facing the highest risk, concludes a study in September’s Pediatrics, the first to link obesity with low iron levels. Researchers stressed the importance of weaning kids 1 to 3 years old...

Fattest States in America
Fattest States in America
Aug 27, 2007 8:36 PM CDT

Fattest States in America

(Newser) - The Trust for America's Health has come out with its fourth annual report on obesity.  And the losers are:
  1. Mississippi
  2. West Virginia
  3. Alabama

We're Still Getting Fatter
We're Still Getting Fatter
Aug 27, 2007 6:07 PM CDT

We're Still Getting Fatter

Obesity epidemic continues to spread

(Newser) - Americans just keep getting fatter. Obesity rates were up in 31 states this year and declined in none, a new study by a health advocacy group finds. That brings the percentage of American adults who are either obese or overweight to 60%, Reuters reports, and the usual suspects are to...

FTC Subpoenas Food Giants on Marketing to Kids

Congress wants data on childhood obesity

(Newser) - The FTC dealt out 44 subpoenas yesterday to food companies, including McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Kraft, seeking information on how much they spent on advertising to kids. The businesses have until November 1 to comply for a report the FTC is preparing for Congress on marketing practices and child obesity.

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