Because Nothing Should Weigh a Child Down

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Obesity’s ‘Disease’ Label May Demotivate Weight Loss, Make People Comfortable With Overweight Status

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A recent article in Medical Daily addresses the issues related to classifying obesity as a “disease” rather than a condition. This has sparked a great deal of controversy. It has allowed some people to feel more comfortable and even “feel healthier,” as shown in a new joint study from the University of Minnesota and the University of Richmond. The researchers went on to state that the people actually saw themselves as healthier because they now were given a diagnosis. Changing the nature of the condition changed how people believed they were affected by it. The apologists however “feel that disease is not always in someone’s control.”

More research is required to gain a greater understanding of how the “obesity is a disease” message influences beliefs about the controllability of weight, and the role of this message in reducing stigma against the obese.”

Source: Hoyt C, Burnette J, Auster-Gussman L. “Obesity Is a Disease” Examining the Self-Regulatory Impact of This Public-Health Message. Psychological Science. 2014 

Junk food cravings get worse if you don’t get enough sleep

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Pulling an all-nighter might help when it comes to cramming for a high school chemistry test, but it can also make you reach for a Big Mac the next morning. When people don’t get enough sleep, they are more likely to eat junk food, say researchers.

A new study from the University of California, Berkeley found that people who did not get enough sleep had impaired decision-making skills and the reward center of their brain was heightened. So people who didn’t get a good night’s sleep were more likely to reach for an unhealthy snack than someone who was well rested. Continue reading →

Managing cardiovascular risk in overweight children and teens

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Pediatric cardiologists are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of overweight and obese children and adolescents who already have obesity-related diseases like hypertension, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, according to paper by Dr. Sarita Dhuper that was published in the June issue of Pediatric Drugs.

Obesity is fast becoming the major cause of premature death in the developed world because obesity increases the risk of developing other diseases, not previously seen in teens and children. The article reviews the literature and recent scientific statements and recommendations by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) about the metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity, including newer identification and treatment strategies for obesity, dyslipidemia, and early subclinical coronary artery disease seen in high-risk children and adolescents.

Click here to access the article. Or, if you’d like to order a reprint, email Dr. Dhuper at sdhuper@livelight.org.