Modest weight loss pays big dividends later in life for kids

An Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine study investigated the notion of indicated prevention—helping overweight or obese youth attain non-overweight status to prevent adult obesity—by examining weight-for-height changes needed to normalize weight status in 669 overweight youth (aged 8 to 13 years) who are growing.

Attaining nonoverweight status in childhood was possible with modest weight loss or, in some circumstances, by slowing weight gain, and may help prevent adult obesity. Future research should investigate how much intervention is needed to shift the growth trajectory to nonoverweight status and how much weight-for-height change is needed to improve other health outcomes in adulthood.

Fast Food and Full Service Restaurants Make the Problem Worse
In the same journal, researchers examined the effect of fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption on total energy intake, dietary indicators, and beverage consumption in children aged 2 to 11 years and adolescents aged 12 to 19 years.

Fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption, respectively, was associated with a net increase in daily total energy intake of 126.29 kcal and 160.49 kcal for children and 309.53 kcal and 267.30 kcal for adolescents and with higher intake of regular soda and sugar-sweetened beverages generally. Fast-food consumption increased intake of total fat, saturated fat, and sugar for both age groups and sodium and protein for adolescents. Full-service restaurant consumption was associated with increases in all nutrients examined.

Fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption is associated with higher net total energy intake and poorer diet quality.