Chicago’s Center for Behavioral Medicine Applauds Michelle Obama’s Childhood Obesity Initiative: Three Ideas to Accelerate the “Let’s Move” Program
February 14th, 2010 by Dan KirschenbaumFirst Lady Michelle Obama has placed the childhood obesity epidemic exactly where it belongs for the first time in US history – on center stage. The First Lady and the President have acknowledged that if we do not fix this healthcare crisis, we’ll keep spending 150 billion dollars a year on obesity related illnesses [...]
Timing of Weight-Loss Surgery in Teens Important
February 14th, 2010 by Kristina KellyShould obese adolescents get weight loss surgery? If so when should teens go under the knife? In a world where child and adolescent obesity rates are skyrocketing, it is important to identify preventive measures as well as effective. In the Journal of Pediatrics, Dr. Thomas H. Inge, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Ohio, and [...]
Why Some Continue to Eat When Full: Researchers Find Clues
February 14th, 2010 by Kristina KellyDr. Jeffrey Zigman is an assistant professor of internal medicine and psychiatry at UT Southwestern and co-senior author of a new study that appearing online and in a future edition of Biological Psychiatry. Dr. Zigman and colleagues investigated why we eat when we’re full. Humans and mice share the same type of brain-cell connections and hormones, [...]
What Is Binge Eating Disorder? What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?
February 14th, 2010 by Kristina KellyJust because somewhat is overweight does not mean that person qualifies for currently accepted (in professional circles) definitions of binge eating disorder. In order to meet the definition under development in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, somewhat with a binge eating disorder would have to consume as much as 10,000 [...]
US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations about Screening and Treatment of Childhood Obesity
February 7th, 2010 by Kristina KellyA group within the US Department of Health and Human Services called the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF – for those who enjoy acronyms) just published a set of recommendations that strongly endorse the value of treating childhood and adolescent obesity with intensive CBT treatments. This note provides a description of this group, a [...]
Self-monitoring Again Demonstrated as Key Behavioral Technique for Improving Weight Control
February 7th, 2010 by Kristina KellyThe attached article just appeared in the scientific journal, Health Psychology. UK researchers examined 26 behavior change techniques for the potency of their impact within 122 evaluations of treatments designed to increase “physical activity and healthy eating.” They found that “prompting self-monitoring” accounted for more behavior change than anything + that adding other self-regulatory techniques [...]
Negative Emotions Outweigh Intent to Exercise at Health Clubs
February 7th, 2010 by Kristina KellyMost Americans do not exercise even though consistent exercise clearly has proven to have many health benefits. A major contributing factor to obesity is lack of exercise. Researchers at the George Washington University Medical Center examined overweight individuals’ intent to exercise at health clubs. Listed below are the details of the study and the results.
ScienceDaily [...]
General Mills to Cut Sugar in Kids’ Cereals
February 7th, 2010 by Kristina KellyIn an attempt to promote better nutrition for children, General Mills has announced they will be reducing the amount of sugar in their cereals for children under twelve years old. The prevalence of overweight children has increased, leading to various health problems. Although this effort does not illustrate a perfect solution, it is a step [...]
What causes childhood obesity – and are parenths blameworthy?
February 7th, 2010 by Kristina KellyIs it genetics? Is it neglect or abuse from the parents? Is it the media? Since we know that genetics plays a role, is biology destiny? What exactly is to blame for child obesity? Well, Dr. Sadaf Farooqi and colleagues, James O. Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado [...]
Difficult Childhood May Increase Risks of Developing Obesity and Other Diseases in Adulthood
February 7th, 2010 by Kristina KellyIn the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Andrea Danese, M.D., M.Sc., of King’s College London, England, and colleagues studied the effects of adverse conditions in one’s childhood. It seems that experiences with psychological and social adversities in childhood increases the risk of developing obesity, high blood pressure and other diseases in [...]