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High Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Tied to Rising BMI and Fat Mass in Young Children
In a recent study published in BMC Medicine, researchers determined the relationship between ultra-processed food (UPF) intake, obesity, and metabolic indicators among preschool children in Chile.
Childhood obesity has become a growing public health problem globally. Childhood obesity persists throughout time and is related to metabolic abnormalities that appear at a younger age. UPF intake is associated with health disorders such as obesity, particularly in adults.
However, research on pediatric metabolic outcomes is scarce and inconsistent. Given the population health cost of inadequate nutrition among children and exponential increases in UPF consumption, knowing its consequences on metabolic risk variables is critical.
UPF production frequently uses refined ingredients, resulting in decreased satiety and increased glycemic response. UPFs also have a high energy density and low water content, allowing them to be consumed rapidly in terms of volume and calories, which promotes excessive consumption.
Study Suggests Even Mild Concussions Can Have Lifelong Brain Impacts
A team of neuroscientists, brain specialists and psychiatrists, led by a group at Cambridge University, in the U.K, has found evidence suggesting that minor brain injuries that occur early in life, may have health impacts later on.
The research team noted that 36.1% of the volunteers reported having experienced at least one brain injury that was serious enough to have caused them to be unconscious for a short period of time — such injuries are classified as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
Looking at the MRI scans, the researchers found higher than normal instances of cerebral microbleeds (1 in 6 of them) and other symptoms of what they describe as evidence of small vessel disease of the brain.
They also found that those patients with at least one TBI were more likely to smoke cigarettes, had more sleep problems, were more likely to have gait issues and to suffer from depression. They also noted that the more TBIs a person had, the more such problems became apparent.
Another thing that stood out, the team notes, was that those people who had experienced a TBI when younger had a higher risk of memory problems than did patients with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, a possible clue about their likelihood of developing dementia.
EE Warns Parents Against Giving Children Under 11 a Smartphone
Primary school children should not be given smartphones by their parents, one of the U.K.’s largest mobile phone operators has warned.
EE is advising parents that children under 11 should be given old-fashioned brick or “dumb” phones that only allow them to call or text instead.
“EE recommends that children under 11 should use non-smart devices with limited capabilities, such as feature phones, ensuring they can make texts and calls but restrict access to social media or inappropriate content,” the company said.
It is thought to be the the first time a U.K. mobile operator has offered such advice.
EE’s guidance on smartphones comes as parents prepare for the start of the new school year, a time when they tend to come under increased pressure to buy their child a mobile.
Robin Walker, the then Conservative chair of the committee, said excessive screen and smartphone use had a “clear negative impact” on the wellbeing of children and young people.
Autism Spectrum Disorders Linked to Neurotransmitter Switching in the Brain
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) involve mild to severe impairment of social, behavioral and communication abilities.
These disorders can significantly impact performance at school, in employment and in other areas of life. However, researchers lack knowledge about how these disorders emerge at early stages of development.
University of California San Diego neurobiologists have found evidence of altered development of the nervous system in mouse models of autism spectrum disorders. They linked environmentally induced forms of ASD to changes in neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that allow neurons to communicate with each other.
They also discovered that manipulating these neurotransmitters at early stages of development can prevent the appearance of autistic-like behaviors.
ASD diagnoses have been ramping up in recent years, but how these disorders manifest at the critical cellular and molecular levels has not been well understood.
The researchers say the new results are consistent with other evidence that altering signaling in the nervous system during the early stages of development can later carry negative consequences as the brain matures.
Study Finds Rates of Obesity-Related Cancer Are Rising Sharply in Young Chinese People
Obesity-related cancer rates in China were rising at an alarming 3.6% every year between 2007 and 2021 while non-obesity-related cancers remained stable, according to the first comprehensive study published Aug. 22 in the journal Med.
The increase is particularly pronounced among young people, highlighting the urgent need for better public health policies to address China’s growing overweight and obesity rates.
“If we don’t drastically change the obesity epidemic, the rates of cancer associated with obesity will inevitably continue to rise,” says Jin-Kui Yang, the paper’s corresponding author and an endocrinologist at Capital Medical University in Beijing. “It will place a large burden on China’s economy and health care system.”
The adoption of a Westernized lifestyle, including increased meat and alcohol consumption, contributed to the increased prevalence of obesity in China. As of 2019, 34% of Chinese adults were overweight, and 16% were classified as obese. The situation is particularly concerning among children and adolescents, who are experiencing even faster increases in overweight and obesity rates.
The team predicted that, without aggressive public health measures, obesity-related cancer rates in China could double in the next decade.
