Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 27 Jun 2012 - 10:00 PDT
Advising Mothers On Healthy Kids' Body Weights Is Effective
More than 43 million children of preschool age worldwide are obese, and studies have shown that obesity could significantly impact children's health in later life. Now, researchers say that educating new mothers about healthy eating and active play can reduce the risk of their child being overweight or obese. The study is published in BMJ (British Medical Journal).
Researchers from the South Western Sydney & Sydney Local Health Districts and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney in Australia, state that the most common factors that contribute to childhood obesity, especially in lower socio-economic groups, include: When children start eating solidsHow they are fedHow much television they watch (children aged 2-5 years old should watch no more than 60 minutes per day)In addition, it has been stated that obesity prevention should start earlier in life, as children who are overweight or obese are more likely to remain so in adulthood.
In this study, the researchers examined 667 first-time mothers and their infants. Specially trained community nurses delivering a staged home based intervention visited each participant at home eight times, once during the antenatal period and then again at 1, 3, 5, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months.
The nurses looked at how much time the children watched television and their feeding habits, as well as their body mass index (BMI).
Study participants were educated on healthy eating and exercise habits for their children. In addition, the nurses used the following intervention messages: Breast is bestNo solids for me until six monthsI eat a variety of fruit and vegetables everydayOnly water in my cupI am part of an active familyFor children aged 2 years, a healthy BMI is 14-18 for boys and 13-18 for girls. The researchers found that at 24 months, the mean BMI for children in the intervention group was 16.49 vs. 16.87 in the control group.
In addition, children in the control group were more likely to be overweight or obese (14.1%) at 24 months than those in the intervention group (11.2%).
The team found that children in the intervention group were considerably more likely to consume one or more servings of vegetables per day (89%) than those in the control group (83%). Furthermore, 72% of children in the control group were likely to be given food as a reward vs. 62% of those in the intervention group.
Although the researchers found no difference in the amount of fruit and junk food consumption and time spent outdoors, they did find that children in the control group were more likely to eat in front of the television (68%) than those in the intervention group (56%).
22% of children in the control group also watched more than 60 minutes of television vs. 14% of children in the intervention group.
Mothers in the intervention group were more likely to exercise for 150+ minutes per week (48%) than mothers in the control group (38%). In addition, mothers in the intervention group were also more likely to consume more than two servings of vegetables per day than those in the control group, 52% vs 36%, respectively.
According to the researchers, the study results are extremely encouraging and show that it is vital to set the foundation for lifelong learning, behavior and health outcomes in the first few years of a child's development. However, they state that further research is needed regarding the cost-effectiveness.
They researchers state that "early onset of childhood overweight and obesity requires health promotion programs to start as early as possible." In addition, they explain that these programs should be family focused and can help improve a child's weight status.
In an associated report, Professor Mary Rudolf from the University of Leeds, writes that the study raises important questions, such as if programs to fight obesity could be started even earlier. According to Rudolf, follow-up is "essential to see if the [study] results in a measurable reduction in obesity and morbidity."
Written by Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
MLA
5 Jul. 2012.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
posted by Mitchell on 27 Jun 2012 at 1:51 pm
It all adds up and if you really stop to think about how much time they are 'sitting' in front of a screen - it's probably easy to clock up 3-4 hours A DAY. Wow. Changes happening in our household right away.
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