Coca-Cola: Yes To More Diet Drinks, No To Marketing To Kids

Are they still avoiding a bigger issue?

After rising scrutiny in a number of growing countries amid obesity rates, the global drink giant, Coca-Cola Co., said it’s broadening low-calorie drink distribution efforts and will put clear calorie count labels on the front of its packaging around the world. 

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Photo Credit: AP

Obesity Gene Identified in People of African Descent

New study discovers three unique gene variants that influence body size and obesity.

African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and a new study revealed it may be due to genetics.

The study, conducted by Dartmouth’s Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences and the Center for Genomic Medicine, found three unique gene variants that influence body size and obesity in people of African ancestry.

Researchers examined 3.2 million genetic variants in more than 30,000 people with African heritage for links to body-mass index. It is the largest study ever done on this population to date.

The large-scale genetic analysis searched for clues as to why some groups may seem more prone than others to physical health risks like obesity.

Authors and professors involved in the study noted people from different populations share similar genetic traits that impact body size. 32 gene variants previously associated with BMI in Asian and European populations were discovered in people of African descent. They found people with African ancestry have three unique genetic variations that work in sync with environmental factors to impact BMI, though environmental and behavioral factors like lack of exercise and poor diets also play a major role.

"While some genetic variants are likely to increase or decrease weight in all people, most are likely to influence weight in specific people depending on their genetic background and their unique environmental history including diet, toxic metal exposure, exercise, etc." Jason Moore, genetics professor and director of the iQBS said.

Photo Credit: Google Images 

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Smaller-Shaped Plates Can Curb Weight Gain in Kids

Even if you allow them to serve themselves

Parents often watch what their child eats, but they should start looking at the size of the plate the kids are eating off of too. A new study shows that kids given large plates are more likely to serve themselves more food, potentially leading to weight gain down the line from extra calories. For two weeks, over 40 first graders from two Philadelphia classrooms were given either child or adult-sized dishware during lunch and were asked to serve themselves both entrees and side dishes, including pasta, chicken nuggets, fruit and vegetables. Researchers would weigh the plates before and after each meal. It was discovered that children served themselves more food when using the adult dishes, which amounted to on average extra 90 calories. Heavier children weren't any more likely to take more food. And kids took more fruit with the larger plates, but the same did not apply for vegetables. "We know most parents don't sit down with their children with measuring cups in hand to determine portion size at meals. We feel this is one straightforward way to help parents promote healthy portion sizes and perhaps keep children's appetites in check at meals," said study author Dr. Jennifer Orlet Fisher. (CBS)

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Activity Trackers for Kids on the Rise

Award them points for improving health

There are already plenty of weight loss apps, gadgets and devices that assist adults in tracking their health, but now that 1 in 3 American kids are overweight or obese, activity trackers for children are on the rise, too. Zamzee is a $30 product developed by HopeLab, a California nonprofit dedicated to using technology to improve health. Shaped like a toy car, the device counts kids' minute-to-minute activity and then, via the accompanying website, awards them 'Pointz.' A study found that of the 448 middle-school-aged children using the Zamzee monitors, those with access to the website got an average of 45 minutes more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week than kids in the control group. It’s a competition any kid can be good at, says HopeLab’s Richard Tate. “You don’t need to be an athlete. You can dance around your room." (Washington Post)

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Michelle Obama to Applaud "Let's Move" Success on State Tour

Have you been eating healthy & keeping active?

First Lady Michelle Obama will continue to promote and applaud her Let's Move campaign on a three-state tour this week. The initiative against child obesity focuses on boosting physical activity and healthy eating. Obama will be sure to stop at Mississippi, the state that remains one of the most obese in the nation, but its rate of childhood obesity has dipped below that of California. “There is no reason why this success can’t happen in cities and states all across this country, if we’re willing to work for it. Now is truly the time to double down on our efforts. We know what works. We know how to get results,” Obama plans to say, according to excerpts of her remarks released by her office. She will also applaud cafeteria workers who implemented revamped school meals. (Washington Post)

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Michelle Obama Celebrates 3rd Anniversary Of ‘Let’s Move!’

First lady launching two-day nationwide tour to highlight children’s health

With all the recent news of progress in reducing childhood obesity in the U.S., perhaps it’s First lady Michelle Obama we should be thanking for launching the “Let’s Move!” campaign three years ago. Next week, Mrs. Obama will launch a two-day nationwide tour to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of her child health initiatives. The first lady released two new PSAs, costarring Sesame Street’s Big Bird, to remind kids and their families to choose healthy eating and daily exercise. View one of those PSAs in the video player above. To view the other PSA, click here. For more on the last three years of Let’s Move, visit their website here.

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Our Kids Are Eating Fewer Calories? Really?

New federal study suggests obesity epidemic might be easing off

Looks like the apple slices in the McDonald’s “Happy Meal” are having an impact. Our kids consumed fewer calories in 2010 than they did a decade before, a new federal analysis shows. This was enough progress for health experts to mark a turning point in the U.S. epidemic of childhood obesity. Here’s why: For boys, calorie consumption declined about 7 percent to 2,100 calories a day from 1999 through 2010. For girls, it dropped by 4 percent to 1,755 calories a day. National obesity rates for children have been flat in the last few years, but some cities have recently reported noticeable declines. And the lower calorie intake for children may signal a broader national trend, experts believe. Here’s another interesting factoid from the study: Carbohydrate consumption declined among white and black boys, but not among Hispanic boys. For girls, whites were the only ethnicity to consume fewer calories from carbohydrates, like sugars. (New York Times)

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Finally! Kids Menus to Get Healthier at Restaurants, Hotels, Parks

All are onboard to fight child obesity

Starting this year, your kids may have better options to choose from their designated menus when out to eat. The National Restaurant Association notes that healthful kids' meals are a top 2013 restaurant trend—even at theme parks and hotels. Disney World's Be Our Guest Restaurant offers turkey meatloaf shaped like Mickey Mouse ears and orange ketchup made from carrots, while its parks and resorts now serve all kids' meals with fruits and veggies rather than fries. Additionally, Hyatt hotels recently introduced a new "For Kids By Kids" menu in which kids might build their own whole-wheat sub sandwich for lunch, for example. Finally, some 30,000 restaurants—everywhere from Applebee's to Denny's—now participate in the National Restaurant Association's Kids LiveWell program that promotes innovative and healthier kids meals. One in three American kids are now overweight, putting them at risk to serious medical issues. (Today)

Obama Administration Releases New Rules for School Snacks

Greasy chips out; trail mix in

The Agriculture Department proposed new nutritional rules Friday that would apply to most snack foods sold in schools. Current standards already regulate the nutritional content of school breakfasts and lunches, but food sold through in other ways outside the lunchroom has never before been federally regulated. The new rule would apply to “a la carte” lines in school cafeterias, vending machines, snack bars and any other food sold regularly on campus. It wouldn’t apply to fundraisers, after-school concession stands, class parties or foods brought from home. Almost every food would be subject to fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits, and snacks would have to be under 200 calories. Out are candy, snack cakes, pretzels, chips, nachos, mozzarella sitcks and most ice cream; in are granola bars, trail mix, yogurt and whole grain muffins. (Salon)

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Loop 411

This week's exciting stories.

Study: NYC Better Than LA at Cutting Childhood Obesity

The study focused on low income children, ages 3 and 4.

A new study shows New York City is doing better than Los Angeles when it comes to battling childhood obesity for low-income children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the study Thursday, reporting obesity rates for poor children in New York dropped to around 16 percent while rising in Los Angeles to about 20 percent. The study used obesity rates from 2003 to 2011 and focused on children ages 3 and 4 enrolled in a government program that provides food and other services to woman and children. Here is the full report.

Researchers made a note that the Los Angeles program they used in the study has more Mexican-American children. Obesity is more prevalent in Mexican-American boys than in white or black children. (San Francisco Gate)

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Obesity Rates Decline Among Young Poor Children

Researchers say data may indicate that the epidemic has passed

A national study by health officials has found a modest decline in the obesity rate among 2- to 4-year-olds from poor families. The share of children who were obese declined to 14.9 percent in 2010 from 15.2 percent in 2003, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. That modest dip indicates to officials that the obesity epidemic may have passed its peak among this group of children. Researches used height and weight measurements of 27 million children who were part of the federal Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food assistance to low-income mothers and their children up until the child is 5 years old. The report defined a 3-year-old boy of average height as being obese when he weight 37 pounds and extremely obese when he weighed 44 pounds and up. (New York Times)

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Kids With TV in Bedroom More at Risk for Obesity, Diabetes

Some children as young as 5

Kids who have TVs in their bedrooms are more likely to be fat and at risk for disease than those who don’t, according to a new study. In the U.S., nearly 70 percent of kids have a television in their bedroom; those aged 5 to 18 were up to 2.5 more likely to have bigger waists and more fat mass, and those who watched more than 5 hours of television a day--about a third--were at twice the risk for fat around their internal organs, like their heart and liver. Ultimately, those with bedroom TVs had the higher odds for being in the top tiers of kids with extra belly fat, bigger waists, greater risk of heart disease and diabetes and elevated triglycerides, or fat in their bloodstream. (Today)

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Big Cities Reporting Declines in Childhood Obesity Rates

New York, Los Angeles among cities with drop in rate of overweight kids

The decades-long era of the chubby kid is ending, according to individual reports by health commissioners in cities large and small. New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are among the cities reporting their first declines in the childhood obesity rate, the New York Times reports. The drops aren’t plus-sized; 5 percent in Philly and 3 percent in Los Angeles. But experts say the decreases are a promising sign that one of the nation’s most pressing health problems might actually be reversing course. The first decreases were reported in a September report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, but researchers found them too good to be true. New encouraging reports, however, have researchers searching for the causes for the declines. (NY Times)

[ALSO READ: Female Celebs Fight Black Obesity]

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Scientists Reveal Most Accurate Prediction Model for Childhood Obesity

Study uses six easy-to-measure factors

British researchers have unearthed a simple formula that they say can predict a newborn baby's odds of becoming an obese child.

The new formula looks at a child's birth weight, body mass index measurements of its parents, the number of people in the household, what type of occupation the mother has and whether or not she smoked while pregnant and can predict whether or not parents should prepare to have a hefty child on their hands.

[ALSO READ: All 50 States Could Have 44% Obesity Rate (or Greater) by 2030]

"This test takes very little time, it doesn't require any lab tests and it doesn't cost anything," study author Dr. Philippe Froguel, a professor from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said in a press release.

Their findings were published Nov. 28 in PLoS One.

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Boys Are Hitting Puberty Sooner, Especially African Americans

New research shows boys are reaching puberty as early as age 9

Researchers had already found it in girls, now they've found it in boys too. Early on-set puberty looks to be here, but doctors seem puzzled about what's causing it and whether it's really even a trend.

[ALSO READ:School Snack Laws Not Definitively Curbing Child Obesity]

A new study shows puberty is happening sooner in boys, particularly early for African Americans.

The Associated Press said today that researchers have found signs of puberty in American boys up to two years earlier than previously reported - age 9 on average for blacks, 10 for whites and Hispanics.

Theories from researchers have ranged from increased levels of childhood obesity and lack of activity to chemicals in food and water. Science has proven those things interfere with normal hormone production, but right now those are just theories that remain unproven.

Students Slam Low-Calorie Lunches in New Viral Video, "We Are Hungry"

Clip shows the results of the limitations in carbs and proteins

Michelle Obama's child obesity health initiative isn't hitting home with some Kansas high schoolers who, in a new four-minute YouTube video, slammed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which the First Lady championed. Titled "We Are Hungry," the clip is a spoof of this summer's anthem "We Are Young," by group Fun. It opens with a reminder that active teens require 2000 to 5000 calories per day to adequately meet their growth and energy needs. The Act limits the calorie count of school lunches to 850. Students in the video are seen passing out in the classroom, on the football field and in the gym, and sneaking out of class to a locker stashed with snacks. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act aims to encourage healthy eating, and also calls for more fruit and vegetables and fewer sweet and fatty foods. (Huffington Post)

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Military Vets: U.S School Children Are Becoming Too Fat to Enlist

Experts putting new pressure on government officials to revamp food guidelines

If U.S. military vets have their way, school-age children may see drastic changes in the availability of junk food vending machines on their campuses. On Tuesday, a group of 300 retired military officers said school-age children are eating 400 billion excess calories a year at their schools. The candy, chips and sugary drinks can amount to extra pounds over a student’s school years. "While limiting the sale of junk food is not a solution by itself for the childhood obesity epidemic, it is part of the solution," wrote the retired officers, in a report for the nonprofit group called "Mission: Readiness." Food and beverage companies say they support efforts to revamp school nutrition guidelines, but they cite lack of exercise and other issues as part of the problem. (Reuters)

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