Obesity linked to lower grades among teen girls

April 28, 2014

By Linda Poon Childhood obesity has made it to the forefront of public health issues, both in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Now researchers at the Universities of Dundee, Strathclyde, Georgia, and Bristol say that not only...

PE mandates have mixed success in fighting childhood obesity

September 4, 2013

By Tom Snee A study by a University of Iowa economist finds that increased physical education (PE) requirements help reduce obesity among fifth grade boys, but fifth grade girls showed little change. Childhood obesity has risen dramatically in recent decades,...

Obesity risk factors may vary for boys, girls

August 22, 2013

By Kathleen Doheny While some behaviors increase the risk of obesity for both boys and girls, new research shows there are gender differences. For instance, although being on a sports team reduced the risk of obesity for middle school-aged boys,...

Children’s exercise: Hour a day ‘not enough’

August 7, 2013

By Nick Valentine Current recommendations for children to exercise an hour every day are "insufficient" to protect them from heart and blood circulation problems later in life. Children under age 10 need at least 80 minutes of physical activity a...

Childhood obesity may boost risk of multiple sclerosis

February 6, 2013

By Rachael Rettner Very obese children and teens may be at risk for multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests. In the study, very obese girls (those who had a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher) were nearly four...