'Standard' Glucose Test May Be Wrong One for Obese Children

The current standard screening test for prediabetes in children often fails to detect the condition, Canadian researchers contend.

Ironically, the findings are from a study group of 172 obese children -- ages 5 to 17 -- who joined a program to help them slim down to a healthy weight.

The standard diabetes test for children is the fasting plasma (blood) glucose test, but it identified almost three times fewer children with diabetes than the glucose... read more

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Vending Machines Found in Most Middle Schools

Three-quarters of middle schools have vending machines where snacks and sugared drinks are sold, a new study finds.

The research demonstrates that there are vending machines in most middle schools, and "that those vending machines don't always have the healthiest choices," said study author Amy Virus, a registered dietitian with the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia.

The results come from a nationwide sample of 42 middle schools, and... read more

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Diabetes Rising In The U.S.

The latest statistics on diabetes are in, and they’re not good: The rate of new diabetes cases has almost doubled in the U.S. in the past 10 years, U.S. health officials report. About 90% of the cases are type 2, which is linked to obesity. The highest rates were in West Virginia, followed by South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee. The lowest rates were in Minnesota, Hawaii and Wyoming.

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Pregnancy Diet May Predict Obesity

Mothers who eat a high-fat diet during pregnancy may increase the likelihood of their child being overweight.

Researchers at Rockefeller University in New York discovered that rats that were given a high-fat diet during pregnancy showed permanent changes in their offspring's brain that lead to overeating and obesity. This finding could provide a key step towards understanding the mechanisms of fetal programming and could explain the increased prevalence of child obesity over the last 30... read more

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Celebrities Help Fund Kentucky Diabetes and Obesity Center

LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov 10, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Every year, the Kentucky Derby brings celebrities from the worlds of Hollywood, sports and politics to Kentucky for the first weekend in May. And, every year, Louisville, Ky., resident Patricia Barnstable Brown hosts the biggest, most extravagant, star-studded Derby party in town -- the Barnstable Brown Gala.
Last year's attendees included Edward Norton, Tom Brady, Nick Lachey, Molly Sims, Bill O'Reilly, Terrell Owens and Hugh... read more

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Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Your Child

Often called carbs, carbohydrates are the body's most important and readily available source of energy. Even though they've gotten a bad rap in the 2000s and have often been blamed for the obesity epidemic in America, carbohydrates are a necessary part of a healthy diet for both children and adults.

The two major forms are:

simple sugars (simple carbohydrates), found in sugars such as fructose, glucose, and lactose, as well as in nutritious whole fruits... read more

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Diabetes in children: Emerging epidemic

Type 2 diabetes is silently assuming epic proportions and holding an entire generation to ransom, affecting children and young people from all income groups.

Ravi (name changed), a 14-year-old, Class 10 student, was secretly happy when he started losing weight without any effort on his part. He had always been on the chubby side and was tired of being teased by his classmates. However, his parents were wo rried. Ravi did not seem well... read more

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State plan aims to cut diabetes

The state on Friday released its plan for slowing an "alarming" acceleration in obesity-related diabetes in Oregon.
The plan was requested by the 2007 Legislature and will be considered during the next three legislative sessions, including the upcoming session beginning in January.

About 262,000 Oregon adults already have diabetes, a 62 percent increase from 1995.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in three children born in 2000 will develop... read more

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SURGEON GENERAL LAUNCHES EFFORT TO DEVELOP ACTION PLAN TO COMBAT OVERWEIGHT, OBESITY

Surgeon General David Satcher today announced a year-long effort to develop a national action plan for reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States. Satcher said the process would be inclusive and collaborative, and would include open public comment periods, listening sessions, federal and non-federal dialogue, interactive workshops and the formation of working groups to implement strategies.

"The prevalence of overweight and obesity has nearly doubled among children and adolescents since 1980,"... read more

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Surgeon General's Healthy Weight Advice for Consumers

AIM FOR A HEALTHY WEIGHT

Find your Body Mass Index (BMI) on the chart below.
If you are overweight or obese, losing just 10% of your body weight can improve your health.
If you need to lose weight, do so gradually-1/2 to 2 pounds per week.

BE ACTIVE

Keep physically active to balance the calories you consume.
Be physically active for at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60 minutes (children) on most... read more

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