 by Emily Oken, MD, MPH We’ve all heard there’s an epidemic of obesity around the world– obesity is increasing in adults and children, and even infants, in all continents. With such a wide swath of the world’s population being affected, you might be tempted to think there’s something in the air that is causing everyone to gain weight – and you may be right.
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 by Sheryl Rifas-Shiman, MPH Almost 14 years ago, I remember being very excited — and a bit confused — about when to start feeding my baby solid foods. The when, what, and how of starting solids was a hot topic among parents at the playground. Since that time, recommendations have changed but haven’t necessarily become clearer. National and international guidelines recommend not feeding an infant solid food until at least 4 months of age and preferably not until 6 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization advocate for later introduction of solids as a way to promote exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. When I was making this decision, I remember being mostly concerned about choking and allergies. But there may be another reason for delaying the introduction of solids: preventing obesity.
 by Jason Block, MD I’m a rabid New Orleans Saints fan. Raised in Louisiana, I started going to games as a young child, joining my grandfather, dad, brother and others. I have reveled in their highs (in the last few years) and despaired in their lows (many, many over their history). I even went to the Super Bowl in 2010 when the Saints won. Needless to say, I have a Drew Brees jersey and consider him to be one of the greats. He is a future Hall of Famer, a remarkable community asset, and a true leader. So what does Drew Brees have to do with the obesity epidemic? In one word: endorsements.
 by Matthew W. Gillman, MD, SM You've seen the articles: "10 ways to burn away fat!" Although most are more hype than help, new research raises the possibility that there may be ways to harness the "burn" for weight management.
 by Elizabeth Cespedes, MS Children in the United States consume an average of 7 hour/day of screen media. Television is the biggest culprit, but time spent on cellular phones, in front of the computer, on a tablet, or playing video games contribute a good bit of that time too.
Screen media is present throughout children’s lives – at school, in free time and even in bedrooms. But is this constant exposure bad for children’s health? The answer seems to be yes, especially because of the link between excessive screen time and less sleep. Multiple studies have found that more time spent viewing television or other screen media predicts less daily sleep in children, from infancy through adolescence. Having a television or a computer in the bedroom is worse, leading to more total media use, and regardless of this total use, to a later bedtime and fewer hours of sleep. |
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