In parallel with the childhood obesity epidemic, chronic metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are on the rise among youth worldwide, with a staggering 18.5% prevalence of one of these conditions among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. While the behavioral and biological causes are complex and multifaceted, a “Western diet” high in refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats is recognized as a key behavioral risk factor. One biological mechanism linking a Western diet to obesity and obesity-related conditions is metabolic endotoxemia, or the translocation of the gut-derived endotoxin bacterium lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its binding protein, LPS binding protein (LBP), in blood. In short, this happens when bacteria (or parts of bacteria) move from the inside of the intestine into the bloodstream where they do not belong. The presence of the endotoxin bacterium in the bloodstream is concerning because it results in insulin resistance, causes inflammation, and can alter how the body handles fat or lipids.
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 Wei Perng, PhD The “rise again” of baby-led weaning. For the last century or so, parents have been advised to introduce solid foods to their infants – usually starting sometime between 4 and 6 months of age – by spoon-feeding specially prepared foods. The meals start out as smooth purees and, as the infant gets older, progress in texture, flavor, and variety until 1 year of age, when the baby is able to eat what the rest of the family is eating. Spoon-feeding gives the parent control over what and how much the baby is eating. However, in the last decade or so, baby-led weaning has grown in popularity. Instead of giving the infant special foods, they are allowed to feed themselves finger-sized portions of family foods. (Of course, one should keep in mind that parents have likely been practicing baby-led weaning for millenia, prior to modern food processing technologies). In addition to promoting an inclusive eating environment wherein the baby joins the family at mealtime, baby-led weaning is purported to expose infants to a wide variety of foods, thereby decreasing risk of food allergies, and promote development of fine motor skills (discussed in book Rapley G and Murkett T. Baby-led weaning: helping your baby to love good food. Random House 2008). Of particular interest to me is the hypothesis that baby-led weaning reduces future risk of obesity. But how?
 Veronique Gingras, MSc, PhD In August and September 2017, three nutrition studies derived from the PURE study were published in the Lancet and an old, endless – and somewhat tiresome – debate resurfaced: is a low-carbohydrate or a low-fat diet better for your health? These publications received tremendous attention with headlines such as: Study challenges conventional wisdom on fats, fruits and vegetables or PURE shakes up nutritional field: finds high fat intake beneficial. However, many of the headlines either exaggerated or misrepresented the findings. The media coverage that followed highlights how important it is to be cautious when we interpret and present results.
The First 1000 Days Of Life: A Window Of Opportunity For Novel Interventions Of Childhood Obesity1/3/2018  Izzuddin Aris, PhD Childhood overweight/obesity remains a substantial problem globally. Rising trends in children's and adolescents' body mass index have plateaued in many high-income countries, childhood obesity rates have dramatically increased in parts of Asia over the past few decades. Mounting evidence suggests that the period between conception and age 2, otherwise known as the “first 1000 days of life”, is important in shaping a child’s future risk of obesity. While previous studies have identified numerous maternal factors that can boost subsequent childhood obesity risk (e.g., maternal obesity, diabetes, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, etc.), researchers have only considered them in isolation. Recent findings from the Project Viva and Southampton Women’s Survey cohorts have highlighted that these interlinked risk factors, both independently and cumulatively, contribute to a child's future risk of obesity.
 Peter James, MHS, ScD With the wide availability of wearable fitness trackers, people have been increasingly measuring the number of steps they take per day, striving to obtain those 10,000 steps. But what is the significance of 10,000 steps? And is counting steps really a good measure of physical activity? I recently attended the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Annual Meeting in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia where I was fortunate to gain more insight into the step counting phenomenon.
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