childhood obesity
Adult obesity rate down in four states, first decline in a decade in U.S.
Adult obesity rates are down in Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio — the first states in the nation to show a decline in a decade — while child obesity held steady at 17 percent, says the annual State of Obesity report. "Obesity remains one of the most significant epidemics our country has faced, contributing to millions of preventable illnesses and billions of dollars in avoidable health care costs,” said chief executive Richard Hamburg of the Trust for America's Health, a co-sponsor of the report.
Endorsing junk food, pop stars add to teen obesity
Sodas, sweets and fast food are the most common choices when pop music stars endorse foods and beverages, says a study by New York University researchers, who blame the advertisements for contributing to teen obesity. "The vast majority of the food and beverage products ... are unhealthy," says the NYU Langone Medical Center, "Equally alarming, none of the music stars identified in the study endorsed fruits, vegetables or whole grains."
Iowa teacher no longer tells students about his McDonald’s diet
Fast-food giant McDonald's "has ended a controversial practice of giving nutrition advice to students in schools, pulling back on a program that critics said was a subtle form of fast-food marketing that could imperil kids' health and understanding of nutrition," reports the Washington Post.
Childhood obesity rate continues to rise
Some 17.4 percent of American children are obese today, compared to 14.6 percent at the start of the century, says the Los Angeles Times, citing a study published in the journal Obesity. "Among children from infancy through age 18, rates of obesity have increased steadily from 1999 to 2014, and the numbers of children with the severest forms of obesity have risen most dramatically."