1 min read

Is Childhood Obesity Related to Poor Math Skills?

Every day, we hear about the side effects of childhood obesity. Increased risk for diabetes and heart disease, low self-esteem, and depression all make that list, and apparently, so should difficulty with math. According to a Child Development study that surveyed more than 6,250 individuals, children with persistent obesity (aka, starting in kindergarten) scored lower on math tests in grades one through five, than children without weight issues.

1 min read

Light Exercise During Pregnancy May Reduce Obesity Risk for Baby

Research has found that babies who are heavy for their length have an increased risk of obesity later in life. To accompany these findings, researchers from the University of Auckland teamed up with Northern Arizona University researchers to compare two groups of pregnant women–those who practiced a light exercise regimen and those who did not. The study found that the exercising women’s babies were on average.32 lb lighter, but no shorter, than the babies of their non-exercising counterparts.

2 mins read

Obesity Risk in Babies Linked to Start Date of Solid Foods

A new study supports US guidelines that recommend parents wait to give their babies solid foods until they are at least 4-6 months old. “Adhering to those guidelines could reduce the risk of obesity in childhood,” said Dr. Susanna Huh, one of the studys lead authors from Childrens Hospital Boston For babies who were breastfed for at least four months, the age at which they first received solid food (anywhere from four to six months of age) did not matter — either way, these kids had a one in 14 chance of being obese at age three.

3 mins read

Supplements That Help Obesity in Kids

An obese child is an unhappy child — and an unhealthy child. Obese children are at risk for the same health problems as obese adults, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. However, using dietary supplements for your child’s weight problem may not only be ineffective; these over-the-counter “weight loss pills” can have dangerous side effects.