Socioeconomic status in childhood and obesity in adults: a population-based study
This paper, published in Revista de Saúde Pública, aimed to determine the relationship between socioeconomic status (SS) in childhood and obesity in adult life. It conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a population of 1,222 adults in Florianópolis, Southern Brazil. Socioeconomic status was determined using the participant’s parents level of education as a proxy. Adult obesity was...Read More
Future Pharmacotherapy for Obesity: New Anti-Obesity Drugs on the Horizon
This review published in Current obesity reports looks at how our increased understanding of energy regulation and neurohormonal pathways in energy homeostasis (the body’s mechanism for controlling caloric intake and energy expenditure) are being utilised to find pharmacological solutions to obesity. The review looks at centrally acting agents, gut hormones & incretin targets and...Read More
Practical Strategies for Engaging Individuals with Obesity in Primary Care
In this review article published by the Mayo Clinic, Dr Scott Kahan discusses the best strategies for engaging patients in obesity management, as well as looking at the barriers to good clinical practice. His findings are based on PubMed searches as well as his own clinical experience. The two strategies identified as being practiced sub-optimally are screening and referral for counselling....Read More
Cancer Research UK’s Obesity Campaign Causes Online Backlash
Smoking. Everyone knows the risks involved and the impacts it can have on your overall health. The links between smoking and emphysema, coronary heart disease, and in particular, cancer, have been long established and well publicised for decades. It is the biggest cause of preventable cancer cases in the UK, but perhaps what isn’t as widely known, and in this case, accepted, is what comes as a...Read More
Effectiveness of a Kindergarten-Based Intervention for Preventing Childhood Obesity.
Pediatrics conducted a pilot study over 12 months in Guangzhou, China, aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of a multifaceted intervention for preschool children and to provide an assessment of the efficacy. The study involved 648 children, who underwent a 3-component intervention (training of staff, initiating a healthy curriculum and close collaboration with families) while the other...Read More
Clinic and Home-Based Behavioral Intervention for Obesity in Preschoolers: A Randomized Trial
In this phase III randomised controlled trial of 151 children, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, the authors sought to investigate whether a skills-based behavioural family clinic and home-based intervention (LAUNCH) would be more effective at reducing BMI than motivational interviewing or to standard care in preschool-aged children with obesity. LAUNCH is an 18-session clinic and home,...Read More