Metabolic Syndrome and Teens

As the rates of obesity rise in teens there is also a rise in a cluster of heart disease and diabetes risk factors known as metabolic syndrome. Obese teens are the most likely to have metabolic syndrome, which includes high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and excess belly fat.

Metabolic syndrome is known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults, and is related to a sedentary lifestyle and a poor diet. No matter what is causing it, the treatment is the same: more exercise, less sitting, and a healthier diet. It is all about lifestyle and setting in place the habits teens will need a s healthy adults. This cannot be treated with a pill, and the older teens get before they start dealing with it, the greater their chances are of developing diabetes, and heart disease.

When it comes to changing lifestyle, parents and family members all have to get on the same path. Families are systems and each system supports the habits - good or bad. If you have a teen who needs more exercise, fewer carbohydrates, less sugar, and more fruits and vegetables, chances are goo the whole family needs those things, and together you can make different decisions.

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Labels: Healthline, Obesity, Teen Health

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Carbohydrate Counting at Starbucks: Teens Beware

Teens and obesity is going to be a theme this week, so while my daughters and I were frequenting Starbucks last week I made the mistake of picking up a brochure called "Nutrition by the Cup." We learned that there are 87,000 different drink combinations available at Starbucks, and as the brochure states, "choice is a big part of any healthy lifestyle."

Out of those 87,000 combination, there are only 20 choices listed in the brochure that are under 200 calories - excuse me? Yes folks, most of what my kids consider fair game at Starbucks are enough carbohydrates and calories to be complete meals - or even two meals. So, back to those drinks under 200 calories ... they include plain brewed coffee and tea, nonfat caramel macchiatos (140 calories), steamed apple juice (170 calories), nonfat iced vanilla lattes (120 calories), and a coffee frappuccino (180 calories).

But oh no, those are not the things we go to Starbucks for, we like the mocha frappuccinos, and now we know that the venti size packs in 380 calories and 78 grams of carbohydrates. For those of who who do not count carbs, that is more than a meal consisting of roasted chicken, broccoli, mashed potatoes and gravy, and homemade bread.

So, I try a healthy one - how about a venti soymilk vanilla latte - well, that gives me only 300 calories and a mere 52 grams of carbohydrates - so, with a heavy sigh, I guess I'll stick to the plain brewed coffee.

The moral of the story, is teens beware - you may be undoing healthy choices by not knowing what's in your favorite drinks. Be conscious! Be healthy!

Resources
www.mypyramid.gov
www.nationaldairycouncil.org

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Labels: Healthline, Nutrition, Obesity

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Meals Matter from the Dairy Council of California

By 2030, the American Hospital Association estimates that more than 37 million midlife adults will be managing more than one chronic condition such as obesity or diabetes. The Dairy Council of California is providing a three-week self-directed Nutrition and Fitness Challenge at their website Meals Matter to help people achieve nutrition and fitness goals faster. Once you sign up you will receive a weekly email that guides you through the steps to achieving your goals.

As steps in the process, you will learn

• Your Body Mass Index (BMI) and calorie needs
• Assess your current activity level using online tools
• Find out about your food personality and even keep track of your food
• Track your progress and make adjustments to your food and activity logs
• Pus, get expert tips and a great resource page

During the three weeks you will be able to assess your current eating and set goals based on food preferences and health priorities with some very cool online tools. You and your teens can learn more about how to balance your exercise and eating, and find recipes that meet your goals. How fun is that! Start today (you must register by 1/14/08) and good luck! You can find this information at www.mealsmatter.org.

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Labels: Healthline, Obesity, Parenting

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Obesity Rising Among Asian Children

Obesity (having a BMI above the 95th percentile) is associated with other health problems including heart disease, strokes and Type 2 Diabetes, making obesity a serious concern for most parents. Until recently, Asian children were the least likely to be obese, but a recent announcement from the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART) suggests Asian Americans have the fastest growing rate of overweight and obese children.

So much so in fact, that the First 5 California program has launched an awareness campaign directed at the Asian American community, which may be less physically active, more home-oriented, and more screen-oriented than other groups. Schools may not be focused on P.E., and kids may be enrolled in after school enrichment programs that are not active, making for long periods of time when kids and teens are sedentary instead of being physically active.

Another concern is that Asian American teens seem to consume more fast food than their white counterparts according to the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS, 2005), which reported that 43% of Asian teens eat fast food daily. Obesity is an issue for everyone, and making healthy activity and eating choices young may prevent illness later in life. It is never too young to start teaching kids about nutrition and making physical activity a part of your family life.

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Labels: Healthline, Obesity, Parenting

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High Blood Pressure Undiagnosed in Children and Teens

The rise in childhood obesity have brought increases in pediatric hypertension. Unfortunately many cases are going undiagnosed among children and adolescents according to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study reported that of 507 children and adolescents with hypertension, just 131 had a diagnosis of that condition or high blood pressure in the medical records. The study also found that if a pediatrician did not recognize the problem, it would be years before it was diagnosed and treated, resulting in unnecessary end-organ damage.

Blood pressure should be part of every office visit and high values recorded and attended to, particularly if children are overweight or obese. Blood pressure measurements are the result of the force of the blood produced by the heart and the size and condition of the arteries. Many factors can affect blood pressure, including how much water and salt you have in your body, the condition of your kidneys, nervous system, or blood vessels, and the levels of different body hormones.

High blood pressure can affect all types of people. You have a higher risk of high blood pressure if you have a family history of the disease. High blood pressure also is more common in African Americans than Caucasians. There are rarely symptoms, although headaches may be associated with high blood pressure in youth.

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Labels: Health Care, Obesity

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Bad News about Summer Vacation for Obese Children

A recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (June 2007) suggested that for obese middle-school children, school-based fitness interventions are an important part of their overall fitness. In fact, the extended summer break reduced their cardiovascular fitness, increased fasting insulin levels as well as body fat.

These results would suggest that the families of obese kids need some education and/or support to help their children make different choices about eating and exercise when home and not participating in school-based programs. Turning off the T.V. and getting active may need to be decisions made at an adult level with support for finding ways for preteens and teens to stay active and involved in non-sedentary activities.

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Labels: Obesity

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U.S. Food Companies Promise to Limit Advertising to Kids

It is about time! Posted on the Council of Better Business Bureaus web site are the pledges by some of the biggest food and drink companies, including McDonald's, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and General Mills to regulate their advertising aimed at children under age 12 in an attempt to help reduce childhood obesity. This seems like a step in the right direction, but I can't keep from wondering if the efforts will go far enough.

Of course, the companies all agree to do different things, but some seemed pretty right on. For example, McDonald's said all advertising directed at children under age 12 would focus on healthy dietary choices. PepsiCo said their advertising would emphasize healthy lifestyles, and Coca-Cola said it would only advertise water and juice to kids.

Now maybe we can get some of the media companies to limit the use of licensed cartoon characters to promote low-nutrition foods, ya think?

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Labels: Advertising, Obesity

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Selling Food to Children: Why is Obesity a Problem?

Here is an assignment for you - watch TV with your tween one day and count the food advertisements - a recent study suggests you will see about 21 a day, and 34% of them will be advertising candy or snacks, 28% will be for cereal, and 10% will be for fast food!

As obesity becomes a bigger and bigger problem, federal organizations including the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have called for voluntary changes in the advertising of food to children. To help inform this debate, the Kaiser Family Foundation has released the largest study ever conducted of TV food advertising to children.

The study, "Food for Thought: TV Food Advertising to Children in the United States," suggests that tweens see the most (about 7,600 a year), and many send them to a web site for games, prizes, and surprise, more advertising! The study is based on a sample of 1,638 hours of TV content (which I hope included hazardous duty pay), which included 8,854 food ads.

One more reason to lose the TV!

Related Previous Posts: Couch Potato? Online Advertising, Childhood Obesity

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Labels: Advertising, Obesity

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Are you, or your teen a couch potato?

I know that life is busy and many of us are tired, stressed out, and struggling, but using "screen time" - including television, computers, video screens, and DVDs - as relaxation is creating a huge obstacle to staying active and keeping fit. Spending our time in front of a TV or computer is also reducing the amount of time we spend with family members, reducing our connectedness and the strength of our families.

Research suggests that more than two hours a day in front of a screen during free time is associated with health risks including obesity and depression. If you or your children spend more than about an hour a day of your spare time watching a screen, changes are in order. You may not even realize how much time your family spend in front of a screen, so keep a log for a week or two and be prepared for a shock!

This log does not have to be fancy, but it must include the name of the person, and how many minutes they spend in front of every screen in the house - for each of 7 days. Total it at the end and talk with your family about the things you could have done together instead of sitting in front of those screens.

Parents have to set an example and "Turn off the TV" encouraging their children to find something to do that moves their body and gets them out into the fresh air. You can do other things, too:
• tell kids they can spend one hour a day in front of a screen of their choice, and enforce it;
• take computers and TVs out of kid's rooms;
• do not watch TV during meal times;
• offer alternatives - board games, art projects, yard activities, bike riding;
• post a list of activities; and most importantly,
• only turn the TV on when there is something specific you want to watch.

Resources:
TV Turnoff Network
We're Talking Teen Health

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Labels: Obesity

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Online Food Advertising to Kids Another Venue to Market Junk Food

A report released in July by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 85% of the top food brands that target children through television advertising also have Web sites that market to children. These corporate-sponsored sites are primarily marketing foods and beverages high in fat, calroies, and sugar, also known as junk food.

The study, "It's Child's Play: Advergaming and the Online Marketing of Food to Children," examined the marketing methods used on 77 children's food and beverage Web sites, finding that sites are disguising their efforts to reach children as games or competitions. Advergaming - online games featuring products - was included in 73% of the Web sites. Viral marketing, a technique where consumers market to one another via the Internet, was found on 64% of the sites. The sites encouraged children to send invitations, greeting cards and birthday wishes through emails that display product names and characters.

These techniques are dangerous in light of the country's growing childhood obesity problem. They are not only promotoing the consumption of junk food, but inactivity while sitting at the computer.

For some teens, junk food is an American way of life, and also an addiction. Junk food contributes little or no nutrient value to the diet, but instead provides excess calories and fat. Some examples of junk food are candy, breakfast pastries, high fat chips and dip, and high fat foods from fast food restaurants.

When consumed in small amounts, junk food can be worked into a healthy lifestyle. The key is not to eat junk food more than once a week or replace healthy foods with junk food, but to get enough exercise to burn off the extra calories these foods contribute.

To kick the junk food habit an entire family has to focus on eating healthy foods. Pay attention to the choices available in the house and during the day and avoid situations that may encourage a "junk attack," like sitting in front of the television all evening. When you do eat well, notice that you feel less tired, are less irritated, and may even sleep better.

Do not be extreme, for more information, contact your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian in your area to help you change your eating habits.


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Labels: Obesity

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Health Consequences of Soda Consumption

One of the likely culprits in unintentional weight gain may be soda consumption according to a recent study. A 12-ounce soda has 150 calories and about 10 teaspoons of sugar, mostly as high-fructose corn syrup and drinking only one soda a day can lead to a weight gain of 15 pounds in one year, in addition to higher cholesterol.

While providing little nutrition, soda has increased the risk of diabetes, fractures and cavities according to a review article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The authors from the Harvard School of Public Health recommend removing soda and other vending machines from schools, reducing soda consumption, and limiting the marketing of soft drinks. Alternatives parents can offer are water and low-fat milk.

Teens can make healthier decisions about how they eat as well. For more information, visit We're Talking Teen Health at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation or Healthline.


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Labels: Obesity

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The Epidemic of Childhood Obesity

Over the past 30 years, the rate of obesity has doubled for children and adolescents and 31% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 are now considered overweight (Institute of Medicine, 2005). A recent Social Policy Report, by Krishnamoorthy, Hart, and Jelalian review the research on childhood obesity and make policy recommendations.

The authors describe the sociocultural variables that are thought to contribute to the significant increases in obesity, the serious medical and psychosocial risks associated with pediatric obesity, and interventions have been designed to decrease body mass index (BMI).

Overweight adolescents are at increased risk for a number of medical comorbidities, including hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes, insulin resistance, obstructive sleep apnea, and asthma. In addition to medical problems, overweight adolescents are at increased for social and emotional problems. Heavy youth tend to have lower self-esteem, negative body image, and higher levels of depression than normal weight youth, in addition to being teased more by peers.

Some of the contributing factors include easy and quick availability of tasty yet highly caloric foods at relatively low cost and in large quantities, the pervasive marketing of such foods especially to children, and the tendency toward a sedentary life style. Favorite leisure activities such as TV and videogames contribute to children's inactivity. Children need to eat healthier foods, eat less, and be more active.

The bottom line from these authors is that change is required at multiple levels, and they offer suggestions for how parents, schools, communities, and governments can each do their part to tackle this epidemic.

The entire report can be found at: http://www.srcd.org/documents/publications/SPR/spr20-2.pdf



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Labels: Obesity

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