Obesity prevention should begin at age 2
NORFOLK, Va. (UPI) -- Obesity prevention efforts should begin as early as age 2, when children reach a "tipping point," U.S. researchers said.
Dr. John W. Harrington, a pediatrician at Virginia's Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, examined records of 111 overweight children from a suburban pediatric practice. All of the children had their height and weight measured at least five times during pediatric visits. The average age was 12.
Children whose body mass index exceeded that of 85 percent of the general population were classified as overweight. Researchers charted the recorded body mass index of the children from infancy. They found that the obese children had started gaining weight in infancy at an average rate of .08 excess BMI units per month. On average, they began this progression at three months of age.
"This study suggests that doctors may want to start reviewing the diet of children during early well-child visits," Harrington said in a statement. "By the time they reach 8 years old, they're already far into the overweight category, making treatment more difficult."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Hard to find healthy fast-food kids' meals
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Parents looking for healthy meals at many U.S. fast food chains, don't have a lot of choices, a U.S. food advocacy group said Monday.
A report by the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington found nearly every possible combination of the children's meals at KFC, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, Chick-fil-A and other chains is too high in calories.
Of the 1,474 possible choices at 13 chains examined, 93 percent exceed 430 calories -- an amount that is one-third of what the Institute of Medicine recommends children ages 4 through 8 should consume in a day.
Besides being almost always too high in calories, 45 percent of the kids' meals at the 13 chains studied by CSPI were too high in saturated and trans fats and 86 percent were too high in sodium.
Most of Subway's Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box and one of several healthful side items -- apple slices, raisins, or yogurt -- are less than the 430-calorie threshold.
Chili's kid's meal of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples and chocolate milk has 1,020 calories, while KFC kid's meal of popcorn chicken, baked beans, biscuit, Teddy Grahams and fruit punch has 940 calories.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Dr. John W. Harrington, a pediatrician at Virginia's Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, examined records of 111 overweight children from a suburban pediatric practice. All of the children had their height and weight measured at least five times during pediatric visits. The average age was 12.
Children whose body mass index exceeded that of 85 percent of the general population were classified as overweight. Researchers charted the recorded body mass index of the children from infancy. They found that the obese children had started gaining weight in infancy at an average rate of .08 excess BMI units per month. On average, they began this progression at three months of age.
"This study suggests that doctors may want to start reviewing the diet of children during early well-child visits," Harrington said in a statement. "By the time they reach 8 years old, they're already far into the overweight category, making treatment more difficult."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Hard to find healthy fast-food kids' meals
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Parents looking for healthy meals at many U.S. fast food chains, don't have a lot of choices, a U.S. food advocacy group said Monday.
A report by the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington found nearly every possible combination of the children's meals at KFC, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, Chick-fil-A and other chains is too high in calories.
Of the 1,474 possible choices at 13 chains examined, 93 percent exceed 430 calories -- an amount that is one-third of what the Institute of Medicine recommends children ages 4 through 8 should consume in a day.
Besides being almost always too high in calories, 45 percent of the kids' meals at the 13 chains studied by CSPI were too high in saturated and trans fats and 86 percent were too high in sodium.
Most of Subway's Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box and one of several healthful side items -- apple slices, raisins, or yogurt -- are less than the 430-calorie threshold.
Chili's kid's meal of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples and chocolate milk has 1,020 calories, while KFC kid's meal of popcorn chicken, baked beans, biscuit, Teddy Grahams and fruit punch has 940 calories.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
posted by Jacques Girard, Ph.D. at 12:29 AM
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