 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.
0 Comments
 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 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.  by Chelsea Jenter, MPH New parents are expected to follow an overwhelming number of guidelines, rules, and suggestions to keep their children healthy and safe. When my kids were born a few years ago, I recall trying to research various suggestions: Should we eat only organic food? What about whole grains? Phthalates? BPA? Cleaning agents? Which kind of sunscreen is OK? What about bug spray? All parents want to do what is best for their kids, but navigating the current landscape can be terrifying. So here is a suggestion with a terrific bang for the buck: make sure your kids get enough sleep. Adequate sleep affects many outcomes in positive ways.  by Avik Chatterjee, MD Tasha, a fifteen-year old girl I was seeing at our clinic at a family homeless shelter (formerly a motel), stared at the floor as I talked with her about her sore throat and stuffy nose. Toward the end of the conversation, I asked her if anyone had ever talked to her about her weight, which was at the 99th percentile for girls her age.
“Yes. My primary care doctor said I should eat healthier and go to the gym.” I looked around the stuffy, re-purposed motel room, currently being used as a meeting room, clinic, and storage room. The view from the window was of a large parking lot and cars whizzing by on the neighboring I-95. There was not a gym in sight. |
RSS Feed
©2017 WeighingInBlog. All rights reserved. 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA