Do Prevention Measures Work?
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Do Prevention Measures Work?
The results of the long-term study „Study on the Health of Children and Adolescents in Germany“ (KiGGS) by the Robert Koch Institute are now available for the years 2014–2017, following the baseline survey 2003–2006. For this study, the data of almost 3,600 children (3–17 years) were evaluated, including the BMI.
According to this, about 77% of children and adolescents in Germany are of normal weight. 15.6% of boys and 15.3% of girls suffer from overweight (including obesity), whereby the number of those affected increases with age. The proportions are similar to those in the years 2003 to 2006.
Nevertheless, obesity before puberty is now somewhat less common. Possibly this is a first sign of the effectiveness of obesity prevention for children in Germany. There are indications that a balanced diet and exercise options in childcare facilities have positive effects. However, it is still too early for a final evaluation.
Kurth B-M: Journal of Health Monitoring 2018
Is obesity transferable?
Obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes are considered noncommunicable according to the WHO definition. The current study of an
international research team now sees indications that many diseases classified
as non-communicable may be transmitted from person to person via the microbiome.
According to this hypothesis, the microbial colonisation of humans with bacteria, fungi and viruses is essentially involved in this transmission path. According to the researchers, in animal experiments, laboratory animals kept together first of all resemble each other in their microbiome and finally in their external appearance.
It is so far certain that there is a connection between a disturbed microbiome and many diseases. Further studies will have to show whether the microbiome actually plays a role in the transmission of non-communicable diseases together with other influences, such as environmental conditions and genetic factors.
Finlay BB et al.: Science 2020
Overweightness primarily with disadvantaged children
Although the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents has slightly decreased over the last decade, it has increased in the most disadvantaged regions. This is the conclusion
of a new study based on data from more than one million
children in Catalonia.
Childhood overweightness and obesity have increased in many countries with medium to high income populations. In Spain, around 41% of children aged 6–9 years were overweight and/or obese in 2015, the second highest prevalence rate in Europe. A new study is based on data from 1.1 million children and young people (2–17 years) in Catalonia between 2006 and 2016.
In general, the prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased slightly in both sexes and in all age groups. During the study period, the rate of overweight and obesity in the 6–11 year age group fell from 40% to 38% in girls and from 42% to 40% in boys.
However, rates rose in the most disadvantaged urban areas and among children of non-Spanish nationalities, which led to greater inequality. Between 2006 and 2016, the rate of obesity among girls aged 6 to 11 years fell by 15.8% in the districts with the highest socio-economic levels, but rose by 7.3% in the most disadvantaged areas. According to the authors, this data situation could be extrapolated to the whole of Spain as a whole.
Children from Latin America had the highest overweight / obesity rates, especially between the ages of 6 and 11 (56% boys / 50% girls) children of these nationalities were overweight and / or obese. Children of African and Asian nationalities had the greatest weight gain in the course of the study. The gradual adoption of western lifestyle and eating habits could explain these results, the authors said.
de Bont J et al., Jama Network Open. 2020
Sugar addiction
Almost one-third of US babies and 98 percent of infants consume added sugar in their daily diet – an increased risk of later obesity and other diseases.
Babies and toddlers have a natural preference for sweets. If this is further encouraged by increased sugar intake, eating habits develop that are difficult to break and lead to serious health problems. It is therefore twice as likely that six-year-olds will consume sugary drinks if they were given them in the first year of life. The connection with caries, asthma, overweight, high blood pressure and altered fatty acid composition in children has been proven in numerous nutritional studies.
US health organizations therefore recommend limiting daily sugar intake to 9 teaspoons for men and 6 teaspoons for women and girls over 2 years of age.
But the figures from the National Centers for Health Statistics are different: babies (6–10 months) already consume a whole teaspoonful of sugar per day infants (12–23 months) already consume the amount that would be permissible for an adult woman.
Above all, yoghurts and fruit drinks, but also sweets and sweetened baked goods are the main sources of excessive sugar consumption in children at a young age.
There were no differences according to gender, family income and head of household. However, Asian toddlers consumed the least and black toddlers on the other hand consumed the most added sugar.
Herrick KA et al., Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
The results of the long-term study „Study on the Health of Children and Adolescents in Germany“ (KiGGS) by the Robert Koch Institute are now available for the years 2014–2017, following the baseline survey 2003–2006. For this study, the data of almost 3,600 children (3–17 years) were evaluated, including the BMI.
According to this, about 77% of children and adolescents in Germany are of normal weight. 15.6% of boys and 15.3% of girls suffer from overweight (including obesity), whereby the number of those affected increases with age. The proportions are similar to those in the years 2003 to 2006.
Nevertheless, obesity before puberty is now somewhat less common. Possibly this is a first sign of the effectiveness of obesity prevention for children in Germany. There are indications that a balanced diet and exercise options in childcare facilities have positive effects. However, it is still too early for a final evaluation.
Kurth B-M: Journal of Health Monitoring 2018
Is obesity transferable?
Obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes are considered noncommunicable according to the WHO definition. The current study of an
international research team now sees indications that many diseases classified
as non-communicable may be transmitted from person to person via the microbiome.
According to this hypothesis, the microbial colonisation of humans with bacteria, fungi and viruses is essentially involved in this transmission path. According to the researchers, in animal experiments, laboratory animals kept together first of all resemble each other in their microbiome and finally in their external appearance.
It is so far certain that there is a connection between a disturbed microbiome and many diseases. Further studies will have to show whether the microbiome actually plays a role in the transmission of non-communicable diseases together with other influences, such as environmental conditions and genetic factors.
Finlay BB et al.: Science 2020
Overweightness primarily with disadvantaged children
Although the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents has slightly decreased over the last decade, it has increased in the most disadvantaged regions. This is the conclusion
of a new study based on data from more than one million
children in Catalonia.
Childhood overweightness and obesity have increased in many countries with medium to high income populations. In Spain, around 41% of children aged 6–9 years were overweight and/or obese in 2015, the second highest prevalence rate in Europe. A new study is based on data from 1.1 million children and young people (2–17 years) in Catalonia between 2006 and 2016.
In general, the prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased slightly in both sexes and in all age groups. During the study period, the rate of overweight and obesity in the 6–11 year age group fell from 40% to 38% in girls and from 42% to 40% in boys.
However, rates rose in the most disadvantaged urban areas and among children of non-Spanish nationalities, which led to greater inequality. Between 2006 and 2016, the rate of obesity among girls aged 6 to 11 years fell by 15.8% in the districts with the highest socio-economic levels, but rose by 7.3% in the most disadvantaged areas. According to the authors, this data situation could be extrapolated to the whole of Spain as a whole.
Children from Latin America had the highest overweight / obesity rates, especially between the ages of 6 and 11 (56% boys / 50% girls) children of these nationalities were overweight and / or obese. Children of African and Asian nationalities had the greatest weight gain in the course of the study. The gradual adoption of western lifestyle and eating habits could explain these results, the authors said.
de Bont J et al., Jama Network Open. 2020
Sugar addiction
Almost one-third of US babies and 98 percent of infants consume added sugar in their daily diet – an increased risk of later obesity and other diseases.
Babies and toddlers have a natural preference for sweets. If this is further encouraged by increased sugar intake, eating habits develop that are difficult to break and lead to serious health problems. It is therefore twice as likely that six-year-olds will consume sugary drinks if they were given them in the first year of life. The connection with caries, asthma, overweight, high blood pressure and altered fatty acid composition in children has been proven in numerous nutritional studies.
US health organizations therefore recommend limiting daily sugar intake to 9 teaspoons for men and 6 teaspoons for women and girls over 2 years of age.
But the figures from the National Centers for Health Statistics are different: babies (6–10 months) already consume a whole teaspoonful of sugar per day infants (12–23 months) already consume the amount that would be permissible for an adult woman.
Above all, yoghurts and fruit drinks, but also sweets and sweetened baked goods are the main sources of excessive sugar consumption in children at a young age.
There were no differences according to gender, family income and head of household. However, Asian toddlers consumed the least and black toddlers on the other hand consumed the most added sugar.
Herrick KA et al., Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
