Larger bottles may start infant weight issues
Feeding babies form a larger bottle may put them at higher risk for greater-than-normal weight gain and weight-for-length size, according to a study published in Pediatrics. In the study, 298 babies were assessed and it was found that bottle size in early infancy was an important factor when measuring for unhealthy weight gain and obesity risk at 6 months of age.
The infants were fed exclusively from bottles containing formula, and almost half of parents used a ‘large’ bottle which is defined as one that holds 6 ounces (approximately 170ml) or more of formula. The study found that infants fed from the ‘large’ bottles gained about 7 ounces more and had larger weigh-for-length size at the 6-month mark.
Dr Charles Wood, co-author of the study and a paediatrician, hypothesised that “potentially, they (the infants) were being overfed”. The study concluded that reducing bottle size may be one way that early onset obesity could be reduced.
Read MoreObesity and gestational diabetes in mothers linked to early onset of puberty in daughters
According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, daughters of overweight mothers, who develop gestational diabetes, are significantly more likely to experience earlier onset of one or more signs of puberty.
The study was based on long-term research of an ethnically diverse sample of girls and their mothers. The girls were followed from 2005 to 2012 with yearly clinic visits where their heights, weights and other parameters were measured and recorded. The researchers found that girls whose mothers were overweight before their pregnancy and who had gestational diabetes were 2.5 times more likely to have earlier onset of pubic hair development than their peers whose mothers were not overweight during pregnancy and who did not have gestational diabetes.
Ai Kubo, MPH, PhD, the study’s lead author and an epidemiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, explained that “very few previous studies have examined the association between maternal pregnancy or pre-pregnancy factors and the timing of puberty in daughters. Understanding what causes earlier onset of puberty is important in designing prevention strategies”. Kubo highlighted that “women who are planning on becoming pregnant or are pregnant should be aware that their obesity or gestational diabetes may influence their child’s health in the future, beyond the known risk of childhood obesity.”
Read MoreObesity rates in US women and teens climbing
According to two new studies from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in JAMA the obesity rates for US women and teens is unfortunately on the rise. Survey data that was collected in 2014 and reported in one of the studies found that 41% of women are obese compared to 38% from a decade earlier.
In the second study, CDC researchers found that during the same time period, obesity in teens rose from 17% to 21%.
The data did however also show that during the same time period, the obesity rates in children ages 2 to 5, dropped from 14% to 9%.
Read MoreBarriers to better obesity care
A recent study published in Obesity, Science and Practice found that only a few patients who are eligible for obesity medication are actually utilising them. Those who do receive medication are more likely to be young females, who are insured and use antidepressants and NSAIDS. In another recent investigation, found in the Pink Sheet, industry analysts have described how this is leading to a ‘slow goodbye’ for obesity medication, as the market declines. The researchers suggest that this could be a contributing factor to the rise in severe obesity, as obesity is being allowed to develop in the people that aren’t being effectively treated. It is also suggested that there are 3 main factors that interfere with the delivery of obesity care: the widespread bias and lack of understanding of obesity, the relatively few healthcare professionals who can treat it, and health plans that aren’t comprehensive.
The bias is thought to be the most influential factor, and this describes the idea that healthcare professionals think obese people to be non-compliant and weak-willed, often overlooking the complexities of the disease. In addition to this, there is a lack of healthcare professionals specialising in obesity care, meaning that much primary care is unequipped to treat and effectively manage it. Furthermore, health plans do not routinely cover obesity care; employers are commonly viewing obesity as a lifestyle condition, and not a real disease.
Most of this research was conducted in the United States, and reveals the sluggishness of progress within the country. There seems to be too much of a blame culture, which is having a negative effect on any progress that is being made. A greater utilisation of obesity services is required, as well as an increase in healthcare professionals entering the field, and the acceptance of obesity as a disease.
Read MoreWearable fitness monitors don’t influence physical activity
In a study carried out at Oklahoma State University, which has been accepted for publication in the PHEnex Journal, it was found that wearable fitness monitors do not necessarily motivate exercise. The study consisted of only a small cohort (36 participants) of Physical Education students. In the study, participants were given a monitor which they were told would capture the amount of sunlight that they receive each day. They were then later given a monitor which they were told would track the number of steps that they took each day. Both monitors were actually measuring how active each of the study participants were.
Interestingly, it was found that the students’ activity levels didn’t change with the monitoring. Clarkson University Associate Professor of Physical Therapy & Physician Assistant Studies Ali Boolani who was conducting the study, with Oklahoma State University Associate Professor of Physical Education Timothy Baghurst, said that as physical education students “they should be modeling good health. This shows you, don’t rely on an exercise monitor as your motivation.” Boolani and Baghurst are keen to develop the study further and explore the activity levels among different professions and university disciplines, in multiple sites.
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