Children/Teens Articles

The United Kingdom recently released its public health guidelines for physical activity. For the first time, the publication includes recommendations for those under 5 years old. The guidelines are based on research that supports the benefits of adopting healthy behavior in early years. According to the report’s authors, “These guidelines reflect a growing awareness that early life experiences impact upon future health outcomes, and draw on notable recent advances in the science of physical activity and health.”

Kids may like the food, and parents may appreciate the convenience, but are the poor nutritional consequences of fast food worth it? A recent study by University of California, San Diego (UCSD), pediatrics researchers showed that fast-food lunches accounted for 36%–51% of a child’s daily caloric needs, with fat contributing 35%–39% of the calories. The meals also provided more than 50% of the recommended total daily sodium intake for most children—and as much as 100% of sodium levels recommended for preschoolers.

September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Help inspire the younger generations to become more active and fit with GeoPalz, an online fitness tracking website that offers rewards based on daily steps taken. A husband-and-wife team created the site to encourage their own kids to get moving. Children simply wear a pedometer to count daily steps taken, and then log the total each day. After logging a certain number of steps, a child is eligible to receive an activity-oriented prize such as a soccer ball or a Frisbee®.

A recent study published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Nursing (2011; doi: 10.1111/j.1365-27022011.03739.x) uncovered troubling evidence that children as young as age 10 engage in self-induced vomiting in order to lose weight. The survey included 15,716 Taiwanese boys and girls aged 10–18 from 120 schools. Each participant was asked to complete a survey that included questions on topics such as physical activity, diet, sleep, sedentary behavior and self-induced vomiting and dietary behaviors. School nurses then measured each student’s height and body weight.

Here’s another bit of news to help encourage overweight men to drop the extra pounds. A link has been found between excess weight in 18-year-old males and increased risk of cancer-related death later in life. The Harvard Alumni Health Study cohort involved 19,593 males who had had physical examinations when they were 18. The men then submitted follow-up questionnaires at age 45, with a final vital status follow-up at a maximum of 82 years. After analyzing the data, researchers learned that 2,395 of the men had died of some form of cancer.

More and more children of all ages are participating in the current yoga boom. One organization serving this demand is YoKid, a nonprofit that offers low- and no-cost yoga and meditation classes for children in kindergarten through high school in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC.

Willy Wonka is dancing a jig with the Oompa Loompas and the rest of the candy industry. A controversial new study from Louisiana State University published in the peer-reviewed Swedish journal Food & Nutrition Research (2011) showed that kids and adolescents who ate candy were significantly less likely to be overweight or obese.

Experts believe that physical activity participation in youth can promote good health into adulthood. According to a recent study, one way youngsters can reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors is to participate in brief periods of high-intensity exercise (HIT). The study subjects included 47 boys and 10 girls who were approximately 16.4 years of age. They were separated into three groups: high intensity, moderate intensity and control.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 71% of moms were employed in 2007. Some research has shown an association between mothers who work and children with higher BMIs. A recent study published in Child Development (2011; 82 [1], 66–81) suggests that the length of a mother’s employment may be more associated with her child’s BMI, as opposed to the fact of employment alone.newsletter_teaser: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 71% of moms were employed in 2007. Some research has shown an association between mothers who work and children with higher BMIs. A recent study published in Child Development (2011; 82 [1], 66–81) suggests that the length of a mother’s employment may be more associated with her child’s BMI, as opposed to the fact of employment alone.