Jul 14, 2018
Loop – Meisha-Gay Mattis
According to reports by the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSSHS), 18.1 per cent of boys and 25.2 per cent of girls are overweight in the 13 to 15 age group, while 5.3 per cent of boys and 6.7 per cent of girls are obese. That was seven years ago. Fast forward to 2017 and the results are jaw dropping. The obesity rate has almost doubled — 10.3 per cent in boys and 9.9 per cent in girls. This epidemic of childhood obesity is why, according to a 2015 report in the New England Journal of Medicine, today’s children are not expected to outlive their parents. (more)
Jul 13, 2018
Florida Today – Ashleigh Spitza
Persnickety, fussy, particular, selective, picky. There are many words to describe people who are less comfortable than most with trying new foods. This struggle, especially common in early childhood, can persist through the teen years and into adulthood. Parents of selective eaters worry whether their child is getting adequate nutrition, while at the same time wanting to avoid making the kitchen table a battleground. (more)
Jul 13, 2018
The New York Times – Erika R. Cheng, Lauren G. Fiechtner and Aaron E. Carroll
Obesity affects 40 percent of adults and 19 percent of children in the United States and accounts for more than $168 billion in health care spending each year. Sugary beverages are thought to be one of the major drivers of the obesity epidemic. These drinks (think soda and sports drinks) are the largest single source of added sugars for Americans and contribute, on average, 145 added calories a day to our diets. For these reasons, reducing sugary beverage consumption has been a significant focus of public health intervention. Most efforts have focused on sodas. (more)
Jul 12, 2018
Medical X-Press – Staff Writer
New research published in Experimental Physiology has indicated potential differences in heart health benefits of differing levels of exercise intensity in teenagers. Teenage years are an important stage of life, with research suggesting it is a time during which heart diseases start to develop. These findings indicate that teenagers who participate in high-intensity exercise have lower blood pressure. (more)
Jul 12, 2018
USA Today – Taylor Seely
A clinical trial in England and Wales separated about 1,300 infants aged 3 months into two groups: One that ate solid foods starting at 3 months old and the other that was exclusively breast fed until 6 months. The researchers found that babies who began eating solid foods at 3 months woke less frequently and slept for longer durations than the babies who started eating at 6 months. (more)
