Fighting the childhood obesity epidemic

For mothers who have diabetes, their children are more prone to being childhood obese, but breastfeeding can reduce the risk; feeding should be for six months at least. A new study has found this. Tessa Crume, an epidemiologist, Ph.D., and his fellow researcher, has tracked ninety-four children who are of diabetic pregnancy along with three hundred and ninety-nine children of non-diabetic mothers. Kids ranged from birth to the age of thirteen.

For evaluation Body, Mass Index was used as an indicator to study the influence of breastfeeding. Explaining the research and the study result, she said that for defining the risk of obesity, early infant life has some critical perinatal periods. Therefore, they studied overnutrition in the uterus because of diabetic pregnancy on children and early nutrition, which can alter the risk of childhood obesity.

The research initially found out that children who had diabetic pregnancy were breastfed for six months, such as slower Body Mass Index as they grew older than children with diabetic pregnancy, but breastfed less than six months. However, this similar pattern was also seen in children of non-diabetic pregnancy.

Related: Post pregnancy weight loss: How to get started and what you should know

Researchers already know that the children who have exposure to diabetes or even obesity in their gestation stage have a high risk of getting childhood obesity and metabolism-related diseases. Crume further added that now there is a second critical chance that Body Mass Index growth can normalize. This is done by breastfeeding the babies for at least six months. This also matched with the recommendations given by the Academy of Pediatrics for how much time babies must be breastfed compulsory.

Crume has said, “Breastfeeding support represents an important clinical and public health strategy to reduce the risk of childhood obesity,” emphasizing that breastfeeding is an important thing to do by mothers to reduce the risks of obesity in children. This is mainly for diabetic mothers who breastfeed their child until six months. So this new study is clinically significant and is a public health strategy that reduces childhood obesity risks. Also, it shall encourage mothers to breastfeed babies for six months at the least.

Foods to eat while nursing

Butternut Squash: veggies and fruits yellow and orange are perfect for nursing health. These foods are rich sources of carotenoids. Carotenoids are a must in every person’s diet. Butternut squash has alpha-carotene and beta-carotene that help lower the risks of cancer. In women, it reduces the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Thus women’s health needs to have such fruits and veggies.

Flax Seeds: the reason why flax seeds should be eaten is to lose weight or keep a check on your cholesterol levels. The first thing to know about Flax seeds is that they are a rich source of Omega-3 Fatty acids. Well, if it’s fats, then why consume? The Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties, help remove bloating, help irritable bowel syndrome, and check cholesterol levels. Therefore it’s beneficial in preventing arthritis, and since it controls cholesterol, it’s beneficial to the heart in preventing heart diseases. Also, flax seeds help in reducing the risks of breast cancer. Flax seeds should be eaten more by women once she is experiencing menopause. After menopause, the risk of all the diseases tends to increase in women.

Salmon: has multitude of benefits to women. The first thing is it’s a rich source of iron. Iron is integral in women’s diet, especially during the perimenopausal. Iron is needed more in women than in men. Deficiency in iron leads to many health-related problems in women. Salmon is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. These also help in beating off the depression. Depression affects twice as many women as compared to men. Also effective in mood personality disorder as they can prevent mood swings.

This was a simple list of foods that women should eat for their proper health as it’s said the healthy woman is a healthy home.

Coronavirus adds fuel to the Child Obesity epidemic fire

The incidence of obesity, i.e. the rate of new cases, among children and adolescents has been creeping up steadily in recent months during the corona pandemic: currently, 2 million children in America are overweight, 800,000 of them obese. Study

‘There is such a clear increase in obesity in children during corona-related lockdowns that we are talking about a second, a `silent pandemic’ here, In some cases, weight gains of up to 60 pounds in 6 months are documented in the special consultations. In addition, a significant increase in new manifestations of type 2 diabetes can be observed in adolescents. In the outpatient obesity centers of the many Children’s Hospitals, there have been about 3 times as many new type 2 diabetes cases in adolescents with extreme obesity compared to the previous year. Anxiety disorders, social withdrawal, and depression have increased to a similar extent in these adolescents during the pandemic. Representative data on this are expected in the second half of the year.

Among the reasons discussed for the rising incidences are Corona’s limited opportunities for exercise and sports, high media consumption and lack of daily structures. But the beginning goes back much further than the Corona pandemic. For years, the trend has been for normal-weight children to lose muscle mass and gain body fat. A trend reversal is not in view. Among children and adolescents, diseases such as type 2 diabetes or fatty liver, which would otherwise only have appeared in adulthood, are increasingly found at a young age. Furthermore, children who are overweight have a high risk of developing obesity in adulthood, which in turn will significantly shape their own children.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for offerings such as education and prevention measures. Instead, however, the assumption of costs of outpatient evidence-based and guideline-compliant obesity training measures is still not secured.

In addition to genetic disposition or an adipogenic lifestyle of the family, however, the living environments of children can also have an impact on their obesity. The experts therefore call for a more child-friendly environment, for example through attractive playgrounds, safe and good school and cycle paths, and better school meals. Compulsory and clear food labeling, bans on fattening advertising, which – e.g., also by influencers – is directed specifically at children, a well-structured teaching of nutritional skills right from daycare.

Trend reversal not in sight

The recently limited opportunities for exercise and sport due to corona, high media consumption and a lack of structure in daily routines and social life are often cited as the cause. The beginning, however, goes back much further than the Corona pandemic, because for years, even normal-weight children have been losing muscle mass and building up body fat. This is not just a matter of body weight, but of overall development. There is no reversal of the trend in sight!

For these children and adolescents, this not only means a reduced quality of life, but diseases that would otherwise not have appeared until adulthood, such as type 2 diabetes or fatty liver, are increasingly found even at a young age. The number of adolescents affected by type 2 diabetes in America is currently estimated at around 1,000; the number of unreported cases is significantly higher and has almost certainly risen again since the start of the Corona pandemic.

Urgent need for services

Children who are overweight have a high risk of developing obesity in adulthood, which in turn will significantly shape their own children. People with obesity are often chronically ill, more likely to have type 2 diabetes, heart problems, suffer from a reduced quality of life and have a demonstrably lower life expectancy overall.

Adults with obesity are considered chronically ill because of this. Children with obesity are not. This acknowledgment however would be important, in order to be able to offer purposeful urgently necessary ambulatory as well as stationary training and prevention measures, explains the working group.

Prevention and therapy of the child obesity are intensified urgently. Instead, however, the assumption of costs of outpatient evidence-based and guideline-compliant obesity training measures is still not secured, criticizes pediatrician and adolescent physician Susann Wiegand.

COVID-19 vaccination

Currently, the STIKO has noted the special health risk of extremely overweight children, because for them an indication vaccination recommendation for vaccination against COVID-19 was pronounced: Children and adolescents 12 years of age and older who are obese with a BMI above the 97th percentile are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease progression.

“We need bold policy action!”

What to do for a healthier environment?

In addition to genetic disposition or an adipogenic lifestyle of the family, the living environment and the living environment of the children can also have an effect on their overweight – definitely also in a positive sense. The experts therefore call for a more child-friendly environment, for example through attractive playgrounds, safe and good school and cycle paths, and better school meals.

For our children to grow up noticeably healthier, political steps are crucial, Mandatory and clear food labeling, bans on fattening advertising directed specifically at children – for example, also by influencers – a well-structured teaching of nutritional skills right from daycare.

In order to actually achieve a trend reversal, there is an urgent need for a discourse on childhood and adolescent obesity in society as a whole, the experts demand, and: courageous political measures.

Focus on the causes
Many factors play a role in the development of obesity: for example, physical activity and eating habits, stress management and the use of electronic media can all play a role.

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