Posts Tagged ‘children’

A new study released this week of over 30 thousand US children found that, on average, kids snack three times a day. What’s more, over half of these children snack 4 times a day. Compared with data from the 1970s which show children consuming over 400 daily calories from snacks, kids today consume nearly 600 daily calories from snack food alone. “My underlying fear is that we’re moving away from being hungry and eating for satiation to just eating,” said Dr. Barry M. Popkin, co-author of the study and director of nutrition epidemiology at the University of North Carolina. Although caloric intake from snacks have increased over time, the average child’s total daily calories have only increased by 113 calories. This means that snack calories have replaced mealtime calories, which is not a good thing since sweet snacks (cookies and cakes) and salty snacks (chips and pretzels) are the top two most consumed categories of snack. [via New York Times]

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In light of First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to combat childhood obesity, updated data shows that the rate of childhood obesity has, indeed, not declined. According to the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2007-2008), the percentage of obese children, defined by BMI, has remained steady with nearly 17% of children having BMIs above the 95th percentile. This figure is identical to a decade ago when childhood obesity skyrocketed from approximately 5% to 17% between 1980 and 1999. Does this mean that the rate of childhood obesity has plateaued? Are we finally seeing the result of years of effort in attempting to curb childhood obesity? Perhaps, but one thing we know is that the rate has not declined and continued effort is much needed in order to reduce the future health burden obesity can confer on these children. [via Journal Watch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine]

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A study published in the latest issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, examines the New York City Department of Education’s 2004 decision to eliminate whole and flavored milk from its schools. The study states the substitution of low-fat and fat-free milk for whole milk in schools can greatly reduce students’ consumption of calories and fat and help combat the childhood obesity epidemic (40% of New York City children are obese by the age of 11).  This simple change means that a milk-drinking student was exposed to 33 fewer calories and 3.4 fewer grams of fat per school day, which is equivalent to 5,960 fewer calories and 619 fewer grams of fat per year. Initially, the consumption of milk by students declined, but by 2009 had increased to 1.3% above the rate at the start of the initiative. But will decreasing caloric intake from milk reduce overall caloric intake and make a dent in the childhood obesity epidemic? It’s a great idea, but there are many more high-calorie foods out there beyond milk to contend with. [via HealthDay]

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Research from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity shows that cereals which are most aggressively marketed to children are also the least healthy, as measured by an Oxford University nutrition scoring system. The researchers also found that none of the cereals targeted to children in the US meets the nutrition standards required to advertise to children in the UK. Among other findings, cereals marketed directly to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber and 60% more sodium than cereals marketed to adults. Even more shocking, (but perhaps should not be a surprise) is that all cereals marketed directly to U.S. children meet the cereal industry’s own nutrition standard for “better-for-you” foods. These include: Cocoa Puffs (44% sugar), Cap’n Crunch (44% sugar), Froot Loops (41% sugar), Lucky Charms (41% sugar) and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (32% sugar). Cereal companies spend nearly $156 million dollars annually on marketing their cereals to children on television. [via Medical News Today]

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A US-based study has found that computer-related injuries are rising rapidly among young children. These are not the typical injuries you’d expect from long term computer use like carpal tunnel, repetitive strain or back injuries. Rather, research is showing for the first time a surprising seven-fold increase over the last decade in sudden computer-related injuries such as tripping over equipment and cables, or monitors falling on people’s heads. Over the past 13 years these types of injuries have skyrocketed by 732 percent. The age group most affected are children under the age of five.

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In 2007, 1.4 million prescriptions for AndroGel—the most commonly dispensed gel form of testosterone—were dispensed by U.S. retail pharmacies. Testim is the other prescription topical testosterone gel, both of which are used in men who either produce low levels of testosterone or no longer produce testosterone. They are also prescribed for some off-label uses in women. Safety concerns have arisen over adverse affects from children who were inadvertently exposed to testosterone through contact with another person being treated with these products. Currently, the FDA has received eight reports of secondary exposure in children with more reports being reviewed. Adverse events reported in these children included inappropriate enlargement of the genitalia (penis or clitoris), premature development of pubic hair, advanced bone age, increased libido, and aggressive behavior. Labels on current testosterone gel products caution the user to thoroughly wash their hands after applying the product and to cover the treated skin area with clothing. Failure to do so could result in exposure of the testosterone to others with whom they physically contact. The FDA is responding to the situation by requiring manufacturers to include these new warnings on their product labels.

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The popular children show Sesame Street will be launching a new program in Nigeria to teach kids about HIV/AIDS. The show is called “The Adventures of Kami and Big Bird” and will feature Kami, a character from the South African version of Sesame Street. Kami is HIV-positive and an AIDS orphan. The show is expected to reach about 30,000 Nigerian children.

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As counter intuitive as it might sound,  swimming lessons have been thought to increase a child’s risk of drowning. However, in this month’s Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, a study shows that children between the ages of 1 to 4 appear to have a lower risk of drowning if they have taken formal swimming lessons. The authors state that “Previous concerns have been raised about the potential for swimming lessons to increase the risk of drowning, either through increased exposure to water or through decreased parental vigilance as parents become more confident in their child’s swimming ability.”  However, these new results show that swimming lessons can, in fact, save lives.

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A new Canadian study shows that poverty during a child’s toddler years can lead to shorter stature by the time they reach kindergarten, regardless of hereditary factors. The researchers stress that although Canada is an industrialized country with a universal healthcare system and accessible daycare, the country still has health inequalities directly related to poverty, such as poor nutrition and housing, medical problems, such as asthma, that can lead to shorter stature. One of the shortcomings of this research is that it doesn’t address whether these children will “catch up” to their peers during adolescence, or by the time they reach adulthood.

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A new estimate of young vegetarians was released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The estimation is that approximately 1 in 200 children are vegetarians, and other surveys suggest that the number could be four to six times higher in older teenagers who have more control over their dietary choices. There are many reasons why some children may be choosing a vegetarian diet – chief among them being animal rights or compassion for animals, health reasons, and influence from parents.

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