The UK Sugar Tax
The chancellor has announced that a new sugar tax will be imposed on the soft drinks industry. In his new Budget, George Osbourne has unveiled new plans to fight childhood obesity by targeting the soft drinks industry. By increasing the prices of high-sugar drinks it is hoped that people, particularly children, will be more reluctant to buy them. Pure fruit juices and milk-based drinks will be exempt, as will drinks from small producers. There are two bands, one for total sugar content above 5g per 100ml and a second for drinks with more than 8g per 100ml, with taxes at 18p and 24p respectively.
In recent years many have been calling for this levy to be imposed, and not long ago Cancer Research UK suggested that a sugar tax could result in 3.7 million fewer cases of obesity by 2025. There are many reasons why drinks are being targeted and not other high-sugar foods, one is that people who drink these drinks tend to consume them every day, and some of them contain such high proportions of sugar that a person can consume over the recommended sugar intake in one sitting. It is thought that the money raised from the tax, approximately £520 million, will be spent on funding for sport in primary schools, furthering the fight against childhood obesity.
Read MoreChildren with a high BMI more likely to have pedestrian injuries
A study conducted at the University of Iowa has shown that overweight and obese children are at a greater risk for pedestrian injury. The researchers examined 206 children between the ages of 7 and 8 in a virtual environment. By studying the choices that these children make in traffic simulations they found that obese children were more impulsive and impatient than their peers. The children completed 30 virtual road crossings and were also asked to choose between different pedestrian routes. The researchers also found that girls are more cautious at road junctions than boys.
Elizabeth O’Neal, the lead author, explained that examining the risk of pedestrian injury represented a new avenue of research in childhood obesity and that it was not well developed. She went on to speculate that one of the reasons why these children are making riskier choices at road intersections was because obesity puts increased stress on the joints, and these children are merely trying to expedite the crossing to reduce this. The choices that these children make may however be more of a reflection of the increased impulsivity of obese people and show how obesity affects behaviours that can have large impacts on health.
Read MoreGut microbiome change to treat polycystic ovary syndrome
A new study suggests that modifying gut bacteria may help treat the symptoms of those suffering with polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS). Researchers at San Diego University in California used mouse models that mimicked PCOS by administering letrozole, which caused hyperandrogenism, this is seen in 80% of PCOS sufferers. Half the mice were given letrozole, whilst the other half received a placebo. After 5 weeks, the letrozole group had gained more weight and were significantly fatter than the control group.
After analysing faecal samples of the two groups in order to assess the types of bacteria present, the researchers found that there was reduced diversity in the letrozole group; usually without any drugs the gut microbiome would change more. They also found that there was an increase in certain types of bacteria that are commonly seen in obese mice and humans in this group. However it was unclear whether the changes in the gut bacteria were caused by the weight gain, or were the cause of it, early analysis suggests that the bacteria may in fact be responsible for the obesity. If this is the case, then the researchers are keen to use probiotics as a possible prevention or treatment strategy for obesity.
Read MoreObesity increases risk factor for rare types of stroke in women
Obese women who use the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) are at an increased risk of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), compared with their normal weight peers that do not use the OCP. Researchers from the Netherlands conducted a small study into the associations between weight, OCP and CVT. They found an almost 30-fold increased risk in obese women taking OCP when compared to normal weight women not taking OCP. CVT is a rare condition that mainly affects young adults and children, it is known that OCP contributes to an increased risk for its development, but no studies so far have been carried out into the associations with obesity.
The authors say that the links that they have shown may make doctors reluctant to prescribe OCP to obese women, however although the relative risks have increased dramatically, the absolute risks are still small. Furthermore, by withholding the prescription of OCP there may be an increase in pregnancies, which will carry a host of further health risks such as pregnancy-related thrombosis. The researchers also go on to say that according to their data, obese women should be informed of the risk and it is then up to them whether they would like to take it or not.
Read MoreDo school assessments really help?
Classifying children as overweight or obese in school reports does not precede any short term changes in BMI. This is the conclusion of a collaborative study from New York University and Columbia University. In the USA, public health officials have called for early identification of weight and therefore subsequent prevention of obesity, the suggestion is that children should be told, through reports sent to their parents, whether they are becoming overweight or obese. However, by doing this, many argue that children’s self-esteem will be negatively affected. In 2007-08 public schools in New York City adopted fitness assessments that did just this, if students were deemed to be ‘unhealthy’ they were informed and advised to see a healthcare provider for more information.
This study specifically looked at girls in high school who were near the ‘healthy weight – overweight’ threshold. The researchers found that when students were told that they were overweight, it lead to a small rise in BMI for the following year. This was particularly noticeable in newly overweight students and high school seniors. The authors are quick to point out that the results only reflect the trend in overweight female students, and shouldn’t be extrapolated onto other students, however they do also emphasise that informing students of their weight status in such a way may not actually result in the desired effect, and may even have a negative impact. They are looking to work closely with the school agencies in order to develop the assessments and make them more useful.
Read More