Reducing the burden of obesity-related liver disease in children

Health Europa – Staff Writer

Childhood obesity is a rapidly growing public health crisis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some 41 million children under the age of five were overweight or obese in 2016, a figure which is expected to rise to 70 million by 2025 if current trends continue. This worrying epidemic is contributing in no small part to the high burden of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity-related liver disease (or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), which is now the most common cause of chronic liver disease among children and adolescents in Western countries. (more)

Being overweight may change young adults’ heart structure, function

Medical X-Press – Staff Writer

Even as a young adult, being overweight may cause higher blood pressure and thicken heart muscle, setting the stage for heart disease later in life, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. The study is the first to explore if higher body mass index (BMI) – a weight-for-height index – results in adverse effects on the cardiovascular system in young adults. (more)

Back to school: How to pack a healthy lunch for your child

Tucson News Now – Emily Biehl

When it comes to back to school one of the common things to expect as your student returns to the classroom is packing their lunch. There’s a wide variety of choices and ways to go about packing that mid-day meal for your child, but there are a few things that dietitians recommend you bear in mind. (more)

Here are 7 strategies to help your pre-teen beat anxiety

Indulge – Sonal Sachdev Patel

Feelings of panic, dread and fear. Shallow breaths, sweaty palms and tightening of the chest. These are some of the manifestations of anxiety which are more and more common in our pre-teens. In fact, 1 in 10 young people experience a mental health disorder and over half of all mental ill health starts at the age of 14. So, if your child is a pre-teen, now is the time to do something about it. (more)

Parents’ powerful preconception influence on children’s future

The Houston Chronicle – Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

No matter how you put it, moms and dads set examples for their children that shape the rest of their kids’ life. Loving, engaged parents nurture secure, generous children. Folks who are physically active encourage children to stay active too. Parents who demonstrate adventurous eating habits frequently have kids who like the taste of veggies from a young age. Parents have enormous power to launch children on a healthy, successful trajectory. (more)