In a continuous effort to curtail the obesity epidemic, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Americans In Motion–Healthy Interventions (AIM-HI) program has taken a new and different approach in educating patients on healthy eating habits. The AAFP released an infographic in March 2014 on Portion Sizes for Weight Management, which provides tips on how to reduce portion sizes at home. The infographic illustrates the trend of increasing portion sizes over the past 20 years, along with increasing obesity rates. Research shows that people overeat when they are offered larger portions, which leads to excess calorie intake. The “privilege” once associated with having a wealth of food has evolved into a problem of “abundance,” resulting in larger waistlines, increased prevalence of chronic diseases, and high morbidity levels among adults and children. It is crucial that healthy habits, such as good nutrition and weight management, are taught and cultivated primarily in the home and within the family. Unhealthy dietary habits both within the home and on the go have been the perpetual crux of the obesity battle. The AAFP recognizes the multiplicity of health threats that childhood and adult obesity present for the nation and is dedicated to providing family physicians with resources to better assist patients in reducing portion sizes, eating healthier, and maintaining a normal weight status. The AAFP has created this educational tool to supplement existing healthy eating resources. Healthy eating resources from the AAFP are available at americansinmotion.org
Lisa Kakinami, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at McGill University in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. Dr. Kakinami recently presented a research abstract at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology & Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity & Metabolism Scientific Sessions 2014 in San Francisco, California. The abstract was titled, “In praise of demanding parenting: The effects of parenting style and poverty on obesity risk in children: Evidence from a nationally representative sample.” (Kakinami L, Barnett T, Paradis G). The aim of the study was to examine the effects of parenting style on the risk of obesity in children and to determine whether poverty was a mediator or moderator for the association. The study found that younger and school-age children with authoritarian and negligent parents (of four categories: negligent, permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian) were more likely to be obese. In short, parenting style was associated with a child's risk of obesity.
Katie Couric, best known for her work with CBS News and NBC News' Today Show, is the narrator of the documentary film, FED UP. The film examines how American children are suffering, in dangerously high numbers, from obesity and related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart conditions. The film also delves into the economic effects of childhood obesity. For a more personal look into the issue, the documentary follows a group of children for more than 2 years as they attempt to diet and exercise in order to lose weight and get healthier. The film opened in theatres nationwide on May 9, 2014. Couric coproduced the film with Laurie David, the Oscar-winning producer of An Inconvenient Truth.
Jamie F. Chriqui, PhD, MHS, is a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Health Research and Policy. Her research focuses on public health policy in relation to obesity, substance abuse, tobacco control, and chronic diseases. Dr. Chriqui serves on the Institute of Medicine Committee charged with evaluating progress of obesity prevention efforts. She is the lead author of a study recently published in JAMA Pediatrics titled, “Influence of school competitive food and beverage policies on obesity, consumption, and availability: A systematic review.” (Chriqui JF, Pickel M, Story M. 2014;168:279–286). The study examined the potential influence of the USDA's interim final rule governing the sale of foods and beverages sold outside of school meal programs. The results were mixed, although the study found that the policy showed promise in influencing overall student consumption and BMI and weight outcomes.
Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Professor at the University of Buffalo, State University of New York. Dr. Wang's research focuses on nutritional epidemiology, child nutrition and growth, and the assessment, global trends, causes, health consequences, and prevention of childhood obesity. He coauthored a study published in the journal Circulation on the effects of childhood obesity prevention programs on blood pressure. (Cai L, Wu Y, Wilson RF, et al. Effect of childhood obesity prevention programs on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2014;129:1832–1839). The authors searched databases up to April 22, 2013, to look for studies related to childhood overweight and obesity and elevated blood pressure. They assessed the effects of childhood obesity prevention programs on blood pressure and found that they did indeed have a moderate effect on reducing blood pressure.
Diane Gilbert-Diamond, ScD, is an Assistant Professor in the Section of Biostatistics & Epidemiology at Dartmouth College. Her research focuses on identifying genetic and environmental factors related to chronic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Gilbert-Diamond is the lead author of the study, “Association of a television in the bedroom with increased adiposity gain in a nationally representative sample of children and adolescents.” (Gilbert-Diamond D, Li Z, Adachi-Mejia AM, et al. JAMA Pediatr March 3, 2014 [Epub ahead of print]). Dr. Gilbert-Diamond and her team conducted a random-digit prospective telephone survey that included 6522 boys and girls ages 10 through 14 that looked at media risk factors for obesity. One of the findings was that having a television in the bedroom was associated with weight gain beyond the effect of television viewing time.
Graham Burdge, PhD, Reader in Human Nutrition at the University of Southampton (UK), and Karen Lillycrop, PhD, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, lead a research group that investigates how maternal nutrition alters the phenotype and epigenotype of their children. Drs. Burdge and Lillycrop are authors of a study published in Diabetes that may lead to a genetic test that would predict childhood obesity. The article, titled, “Peroxisomal proliferator activated receptor-y-co-activator-1α promoter methylation in blood at 5–7 years predicts adiposity from 9 to 14 years (EarlyBird 50).” (Clarke-Harris R, Wilkin TJ, Hosking J, et al. March 12, 2014 [Epub ahead of print]). The researchers analyzed DNA methylation in the peroxisomal proliferator-y-co-activator-1α promoter in the blood of 40 children collected annually between ages 5 and 14 years. They found that methylation of four loci predicted adiposity up to 14 years of age independent of sex, age, and other factors.
Ron Goldman is the Cofounder and CEO of Kognito, a company that focuses on driving health behavioral changes through gaming using research in neuroscience, social cognition, and game mechanics. The company's learning experiences address chronic disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, behavioral health, suicide prevention, and others. Kognito has teamed with the American Academy of Pediatrics Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight to launch a new tool for pediatricians to help reduce childhood obesity. The Web-based module and mobile app are called “Change Talk: Childhood Obesity” and are designed to help health professionals utilize motivational interviewing techniques to navigate challenging family and patient conversations regarding childhood obesity. Change Talk supplies a virtual practice environment that allows healthcare providers to role play various scenarios. The app and Web resource are free.
Asheley Cockrell Skinner, PhD, is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management and Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. Dr. Skinner's research focuses on health policy and childhood obesity. Along with coauthor Joseph A. Skelton, MD, MS, Dr. Skinner published an article on “Prevalence and trends in obesity and severe obesity among children in the United States, 1999–2012.” (Skinner AC, Skelton JA. JAMA Pediatr April 7, 2014 [Epub ahead of print]). The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of obesity over 14 years using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, studying children ages 2 through 19 years of age. The study found that, in the period studied, there were no significant changes in obesity prevalence, although it was possible that the level of prevalence is stabilizing. There were, however, indications that more severe forms of obesity are trending upward.
Peymane Adab, MD, MPH, is a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Public Health & Epidemiology at the University of Birmingham (UK). Dr. Adab's research focuses on behavioral epidemiology specifically related to childhood obesity prevention, and to chronic disease epidemiology, focusing on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Dr. Adab is the lead author of a study published in BMJ Open titled, “Preventing childhood obesity, phase II feasibility study focusing on South Asians: BEACHeS.” (Adab P, Pallan MJ, Cade J, et al. 2014;4:e004579). The study included 1090 children, ages 6 through 8 years, and evaluated a culturally appropriate intervention for preventing obesity in South Asian children. The interventions evaluated were: increasing school physical activity opportunities, family cooking skills workshops, signposting of local leisure facilities, and attending day events at a football club, as well as others. The value of interventions was mixed, but the two that showed the most consistent promise were family cooking skills and increased school physical activities.
