TV in the bedroom linked to childhood obesity
Preschool children can spend up to 12 hours a day in sedentary time, which can include watching television, playing electronic games and reading. Few preschool children are meeting the current recommendations of less than 1 hour of screen time per day, and are spending large amounts of time engaging in screen time. According to new research, children who have a TV in their bedroom at the age of 7 are more likely to become overweight.
Prof Russell Viner of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, who was not involved in the study, has said that “The study indicates, more research is needed to fully understand this complex area, but this is a high quality study covering a very large and nationally representative sample and provides a reasonably strong basis to think that the links shown here are real….it highlights that having a TV in the bedroom from seven years increases the risk of being overweight four years later, regardless of the child’s weight in earlier childhood. As such, the findings must be taken very seriously.”
Read MoreSpecialist clinics key to tackling obesity complications in pregnancy
In the UK, approximately 20% of pregnant women are obese and 2% have very severe obesity (BMI) ≥40 kg/m2.
According to a recent study, attendance at a specialised antenatal clinic for obesity was associated with reduced rates of stillbirth and low birthweight. It was also associated with improved detection of gestational diabetes.
The improvement in clinical outcomes was associated with an increase in the mother-to-be being attended to by healthcare staff. This allowed for complications to be identified earlier and therefore to obstetric triage and clinical interventions. This included induction of labour as well as caesarean sections.
Specialist antenatal clinics for severely obese mothers-to-be could help to cut the rates of pregnancy complications linked to obesity.
Read MoreMaternal obesity linked to birth defects
A major study has found that women who are obese when they conceive are more likely to have a baby with serious birth defects.
Risks of any major congenital malformation and several subgroups of organ specific malformations progressively increased with maternal overweight and increasing severity of obesity.
The study concluded that for women who are planning a pregnancy, efforts should be taken to encourage a reduced adiposity in those with a BMI above the healthy range, therefore greater than 25.
Read MoreGlobal research project reveals 30% of the world’s population affected by weight problems
A new study has found that globally more than 2 billion children and adults suffer from health problems related to being overweight or obese.
In 2015, of the 4 million deaths attributed to excess weight, nearly 40% occurred in people who had a body mass index that fell below the threshold considered ‘obese’.
According to authors of the paper in The New England Journal of Medicine, the findings represent “a growing and disturbing public health crisis”.
Excess weight affected 2.2 billion children and adults worldwide in 2015, or 30% of all people. This includes nearly 108 million children and more than 600 million adults with BMI exceeding 30, the threshold for obesity, according to the study. The prevalence of obesity has doubled since 1980 in more than 70 countries and has continuously increased in most other nations.
“Excess body weight is one of the most challenging public health problems of our time, affecting nearly one in every three people,” said Dr. Ashkan Afshin, the paper’s lead author.
Read MoreAmerican Medical Association approves obesity training
Following finding that 53% of health professionals have reported needing more training in obesity management, and 50% having requesed better tools to help patients understand obesity risks, the American Medical Association has approved a policy to offer training to health professionals for obesity prevention and management.
Medical students in the United States will now be trained to prevent, diagnose and manage obesity.
“Obesity continues to impact the health of a great number of people across the country, contributing to an increase in associated conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,” Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, AMA Board Member, said in a press release. “We know that the health consequences and financial burden of obesity are devastating, yet many of our medical students and physicians are unaware of how to address obesity in their patients. We must ensure that all physicians and physicians-in-training have the tools and information they need to better understand obesity so they can provide their patients with the best care possible.”
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