Category: Pediatric Obesity

Forever Chemicals During Pregnancy May Raise Risk of Childhood Obesity: Steps to Limit Exposure to PFAS

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Yun (Jamie) Liu
Department of Epidemiology
Brown University School of Public Health
Providence, Rhode Island, 

WeightControl.com:  What is the background for this study? 

Response: Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in the U.S., and can continue into adulthood, increasing the risks of developing cardiometabolic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and cancers. While a lack of physical activity and an unhealthy diet do not fully explain the genesis and trends of the obesity epidemic, some research suggests that fetal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may predispose children to a higher risk of obesity. Studies on this topic have been quite limited.

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NEJM: Semaglutide Evaluated for Pediatric Obesity

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Prof. Dr. Daniel Weghuber
Head of Department
Department of Pediatrics
Paracelsus Medical University
Austria
President of the European Childhood Obesity Group

Prof. Dr. Weghuber

WeightControl.com:  What is the background for this study? 

Response: In this study, researchers looked at the effect of semaglutide on body mass index (BMI) and weight loss compared to a dummy medicine (placebo).

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ObesityWeek: Setmelanotide (IMCIVREE™) Successfully Induced Weight Loss in Patients With Hypothalamic Obesity

Patients were able to stay away from food for a longer time. For some of the patients that was really changing their lives. They are back to normal and not obsessed with food all the time.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Dr. Christian Roth, MD
Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Division of Endocrinology
Department of Pediatrics
University of Washington

Dr. Christian Roth, MD Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Division of Endocrinology Department of Pediatrics University of Washington
Dr. Roth

WeightControl.com:  What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain what is meant by Hypothalamic Obesity?

Response: Hypothalamic obesity is a different entity of obesity that is rare and very difficult to treat. It is an acquired form of obesity due to injury to the hypothalamus because of a brain tumor and/or its treatment. This causes an abrupt change in body weight regulation because tissues that are important for energy homeostasis are partially or completely removed.

Typically, these patients can’t control their appetite and within a very short time after surgery they gain weight quickly. Their energy expenditure is also very low. So even if they cut down on calorie intake, they are typically not able to lose weight.

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Retail Outlets Promote Impulse Buys of Sugary Items in Check-Out Aisles

Placement of these items may drive impulse buys, and because these stores sold products for children, parents and caregivers should be aware of these practices at the outset.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Corey Hannah Basch, Ed.D., M.P.H., CHES
Professor and Department Chair Public Health
William Paterson University

Dr-Corey-Basch
Dr. Basch

WeightControl.com:  What is the background for this study?  What are the main findings?

Response: There are many factors that influence food choices, which are not limited simply to access and availability. This study focused on exposure to opportunities for unplanned food and beverage purchases, specifically candy, snack foods, and sugary beverages are available in checkout lines in a convenience sample retail chain stores in New York City that sell products for children.

The main findings are that most of the stores in the sample sold at least one form of convenience foods at the checkout. In addition, “corral-style” checkout lines had a more diverse sample of snack foods available throughout the line.  

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Study of Childhood Obesity Finds “Patients Are Not Doomed by their Genes”

The readers should take away that lifestyle factors are most important regarding successful weight-loss strategies.

WeightControl.com Interview with:
Melanie Heitkamp, PhD
Department of Prevention and Sports Medicine
Centre for Sports Cardiology, University Hospital
Technical University of Munich
Munich, Germany

WeightControl.com:  What is the background for this study?

Response: There are genetic loci influencing obesity risk in children, which have been identified by large genome-wide association studies. However, the current knowledge about associations between these obesity related genes and obesity treatment success is scarce and the results of previous studies are inconsistent. However, it is an important question as there is a wide inter-individual response to obesity treatment. 

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CHOICES: Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study

The Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study (CHOICES),a collaboration between the Harvard School of Public Health, Columbia University and research partners at Deakin and Queensland University in Australia,  is working to help reverse the US obesity epidemic by identifying the most cost-effective childhood obesity interventions.

CHOICES: Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study

Community Policies and Programs to Prevent Obesity and Child Adiposity.

Study evaluates community policies and programs (CPPs) to prevent child obesity

Am J Prev Med. 2017 Jul 5. pii: S0749-3797(17)30263-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.05.006. [Epub ahead of print]Community Policies and Programs to Prevent Obesity and Child Adiposity.
Frongillo EA1, Fawcett SB2, Ritchie LD3, Sonia Arteaga S4, Loria CM4, Pate RR5, John LV6, Strauss WJ7, Gregoriou M8, Collie-Akers VL2, Schultz JA2, Landgraf AJ7, Nagaraja J7.

Physical Exercise At Various Tempos Useful For Improving Physical Fitness

Study demonstrates that physical exercise at various tempos is useful for improving physical fitness, developing motor skills, and thus probably preventing obesity complications.

J Endocrinol Invest. 2017 May 20. doi: 10.1007/s40618-017-0689-8. [Epub ahead of print]

Benefits of a regular vs irregular rhythm-based training programme on physical fitness and motor skills in obese girls.

Racil G1, Elmontassar W2,3, Rommene I2, Tourny C4, Chaouachi A2, Coquart JB4.