Articles on Childhood obesity

June 6, 2024

The disproportionate toll that COVID-19 took on people with diabetes continues today

People with diabetes are about twice as likely to become seriously ill with COVID-19 compared with those who don’t have diabetes.

April 24, 2024

Sugar in baby food: why Nestlé needs to be held to account in Africa

Susan Goldstein, University of the Witwatersrand

March 18, 2024

Free school meals for all may reduce childhood obesity, while easing financial and logistical burdens for families and schools

Anna Localio, University of Washington and Jessica Jones-Smith, University of Washington

Since nutrition standards were strengthened in 2010, eating at school provides many students with healthier food than is available cheaply elsewhere. Plus, reducing stigma increases the number of kids getting fed.

July 28, 2023

Fixing the global childhood obesity epidemic begins with making healthy choices the easier choices – and that requires new laws and policies

Obese children outnumber underweight ones globally, and ‘social determinants’ in kids’ lived environments play a fundamental role. Obesity in kids can lead to a lifetime of poor health.

April 11, 2023

Cost of living: why decreased access to swimming is harming children and young people

Karen Howells, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Access to swimming in the UK has been hit by COVID and the cost of living crisis and that has consequences for children and young people.

January 26, 2023

People blame and judge parents for children’s heavier weights

Jaimie Arona Krems, Oklahoma State University and Devanshi Patel, Oklahoma State University

While excess weight arises from a complex interplay of genes, environment, diet and activity, new research finds Americans hold parents responsible for excess weight in their kids.

January 11, 2023

Why food deprivation in childhood is linked to obesity

November 3, 2022

Is child obesity really going to shorten lives?

Tim Olds, University of South Australia

A new report predicts child obesity could reduce Australian life expectancy by more than four years. Here’s why you should be a little skeptical.

July 5, 2022

Healthy eating: children think their peers eat more unhealthy snacks than they actually do – changing this perception can lead to better diets

Rachel Povey, Staffordshire University; Robert Dempsey, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Sian Calvert, University of Nottingham

June 7, 2022

Ending child hunger and food insecurity needs to be a top priority in Canada as well as globally

Child malnutrition is no stranger to high-income countries. In Canada and the U.S., food insecurity affects one in six children under 18, but policies to address the issue are still lacking.

January 21, 2022

Kids whose grandparents are overweight are almost twice as likely to struggle with obesity

Dr. Edmund Wedam Kanmiki, The University of Queensland; Abdullah Mamun, The University of Queensland, and Yaqoot Fatima, James Cook University

Whether it’s a special treat or family traits, children’s risk of being overweight or obese is strongly linked to their grandparents.

November 29, 2021

The pandemic is changing the way young people eat and how they feel about their bodies: 4 essential reads

Rates of obesity and eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia both surged among young people over the past two years. Scholars explain why, and how parents can support kids dealing with body shame.

November 18, 2021

It might be uncomfortable to talk about. But obesity puts children at risk of severe COVID

Philip Britton, University of Sydney; Louise Baur, University of Sydney, and Nicholas Wood, University of Sydney

Obesity and excess weight increase the risk of COVID progressing to severe disease, including in children. Vaccination is key to reducing this risk.

October 25, 2021

Kids with obesity need acceptance from family and friends, not just better diet tips, to succeed at managing their weight

Amanda Harrist, Oklahoma State University and Laura Hubbs-Tait, Oklahoma State University

A study of over 1,000 children in rural Oklahoma found that social and emotional health may be just as important as diet and exercise in reducing child obesity.

May 16, 2021

South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing

Agnes Erzse, University of the Witwatersrand; Karen Hofman, University of the Witwatersrand, and Nicola Christofides, University of the Witwatersrand

A ban on sugary drinks sale and advertisements in schools is likely to hold more promise in improving the diets of children and help prevent obesity in children than voluntary actions.

March 8, 2021

South Africa needs to change direction on maternal health to solve child malnutrition

Chantell Witten, University of the Free State and Shane Norris, University of the Witwatersrand

November 26, 2020

How gardening at school can tackle child obesity

September 8, 2020

New Zealand is violating the rights of its children. Is it time to change the legal definition of age discrimination?

With UNICEF ranking New Zealand 35th out of 41 rich countries for children’s well-being, the gap between rhetoric and reality is wider than ever.

August 26, 2020

Childhood obesity could increase the risk of multiple sclerosis in later life

Ruth Dobson, Queen Mary University of London

Obesity in young people today may contribute up to 14% of overall risk of multiple sclerosis in 2035.

February 18, 2020

Should we ban junk food in schools? We asked five experts

Sasha Petrova, The Conversation and Madeleine Rojahn, The Conversation

We asked five experts if there should be a nation-wide ban on junk food in schools. Four out of five said yes.