A new study indicates that gastric bypass surgery may be an effective intervention for severely obese teens. The study, which was reported online this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, included 50 Australian youth aged 14 to 18 with body mass indexes (BMIs) of more than 35. Half of the youth underwent gastric bypass surgery, the other half receive lifestyle interventions. Both groups were followed for a period of two years.

Teens who had surgery lost an average of 79 percent of their excess weight; youth in the lifestyle intervention cohort lost an average of 13 percent of their excess weight.

In addition, nine teens in the surgery group and 10 teens in the lifestyles group began the study with metabolic syndrome; at the end of the study, none of these teens who underwent surgery still suffered from the syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that includes excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure and insulin resistance.

(Source: latimes.com)

Labels: gastric bypass, obesity, teen

According to new data from the United Kingdom's food watchdog agency, the Food Standards Agency (FSA), teenage girls eat less healthfully than any other group.

In a recent survey, the FSA found that girls ages 11 to 18 were the most likely to consume food and beverages high in sugar and fat, and the least likely to eat foods that provide nutrients essential to healthy growth, such as iron and calcium. As many as 46 percent of teenage girls were failing to consume the minimum recommended amounts of magnesium and iron, and only 7 percent were eating the recommended five servings per day of fruits and vegetables.

Dr. Alison Tedstone, the FSA's head of nutritional science, said the issue was a concern and added: "Broadly, teenage girls particularly don't eat enough. Overall they are a group of the population whose diets are poor. Young children's diets are generally OK, adults generally a similar picture, adolescents generally are poor. That's been the picture for a number of years."

A spokeswoman for the UK eating disorders charity Beat commented on the FSA's findings: "This report is not really surprising but it is depressing. We must do more to both educate and support teenage girls both to eat more and eat more healthily. In a world where teenage girls read magazines filled with often confusing and contradictory messages about food and dieting, it is not enough to police the school canteen. Teenage girls and indeed all teenagers need to have a better understanding of how healthy eating is a key part of ensuring long-term health."

(Source: guardian.co.uk)

Labels: girls, teen

A recent poll of teenage girls shows that nine out of 10 feel pressured to be skinny by the fashion and media industries, and that an unattainable image of female beauty is perpetuated by these industries.

The poll, which included responses from 1,000 teenage girls between the ages of 13 and 17, was conducted for Girl Scouts USA by the youth research firm TRU. More than 75 percent of respondents said that fashion is "really important" to them.

Kimberlee Salmond, a senior researcher at the Girl Scout Research Institute, commented on the poll's findings: "The fashion industry remains a powerful influence on girls and the way they view themselves and their bodies. Teenage girls take cues about how they should look from models they see in fashion magazines and on TV and it is something that they struggle to reconcile with when they look at themselves in the mirror."

More than 80 percent of respondents said that they would rather see natural photos of models rather than digitally altered or enhanced photos. In addition, more than 75 percent of girls said they would be more likely to buy clothes that they see worn by real-size models than clothes that they see on ultra-thin models.

A significant percentage of respondents also reported experiencing or witnessing disordered eating behaviors. One in three respondents reported refusing to eat in an effort to lose weight; about half said they knew someone their age who has vomited after eating to lose weight; and more than one-third said they know someone who has been diagnosed with an eating disorder.
Aside from celebrities and models, respondents reported that peers, friends and parents are the top influences with regard to body image.

(Source: www.reuters.com)

Labels: body image, eating disorder, fashion, media, teen

A new study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates that interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) may help teen girls who are at risk for obesity to avoid weight gain. Study author Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, Ph.D., and colleagues at the NIH conducted a pilot study that included 38 girls ages 12 to 17.

Participating teens had body mass indices (BMIs) in the 75th to 97th percentile as well as loss-of-control (LOC) eating habits. Participants were divided into two groups: One group received standard health education classes, while the other group received 12 sessions of IPT over 12 weeks. All participants were followed for six months; 35 were followed for one year.

The researchers discovered that girls who received IPT were less likely to report an increase in BMI than those in the health education group. In addition, researchers noted that girls at risk for excessive weight gain in the IPT group had fewer episodes of LOC eating than their counterparts in the health education group.

The authors wrote about the results: "In this pilot study for the prevention of excess weight gain in adolescent girls, we found both IPT and a standard-of-care health education program to be feasible and acceptable to participants. In a pre-specified secondary analysis, we found very preliminary support that IPT-WG may reduce LOC eating and prevent excess BMI gain."

(Source: www.modernmedicine.com)

Labels: obesity, teen, therapy

According to a recent study, obesity in adolescent girls may increase the risk for multiple sclerosis later in life. For the study, researchers examined data collected from more than 238,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study I (beginning in 1976) and the Nurses' Health Study II (beginning in 1989).

Participants, who were between 25 and 55 years old when the studies began, were tracked for more than 40 years from both groups combined. Participants self-reported their height and weight at the start of the study, and what their height and weight had been at age 18.

Approximately 593 women developed multiple sclerosis during the two studies. Researchers found that women who reported a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher (considered obese) were more than twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis as women who reported a BMI between 18.5 and 20.9 at age 18. Normal weight is considered to be a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. Being obese at the start of the study, however, was not linked to increased likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis.

Researcher Kassandra Munger, ScD, of Harvard School of Public Health commented in a news release on the results of the study: "Our results suggest that weight during adolescence, rather than childhood or adulthood, is critical in determining the risk of MS. Teaching and practicing obesity prevention from the start, but especially during teenage years, may be an important step in reducing the risk of MS later in life for women."

(Source: www.webmd.com)

Labels: obesity, teen

Lack of exercise may not explain rising rates of teen obesity, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. For the study, researchers reviewed government survey data collected between 1991 and 2007. They found that in recent years U.S. teens have spent more time in gym class and less time in front of the television.

In addition, the researchers were unable to identify a significant decrease in teen exercise levels, despite consistent increases in teen obesity during the same time period. For example, in 1993 approximately 66 percent of teens got enough short bursts of vigorous exercise such as 20 minutes of running, biking or other heart-pumping activity at least three days per week. In 2005, 64 percent of teens got the same amount of exercise. However, experts currently estimate that one-third of American children and teenagers are now obese.

Although exercise levels alone do not seem to explain the increases in teen obesity, the researchers stressed that physical activity remains an important component of healthy living for teenagers. Only 35 percent of teenagers surveyed in 2007 met the current recommendations for physical activity -- performing any activity that increases the heart rate at least one hour per day, five or more days out of the week.

Dr. Youfa Wang of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore commented in a news release from the university: "Our study suggests that more vigorous efforts are needed to help young Americans engage in adequate regular physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors, which will help promote good health."

(Source: abcnew.go.com)

Labels: exercise, obesity, teen

Poor body image among teens isn't limited to the United States. A recent study shows that half of teens in Israel believe that they are overweight. The study, conducted by the Department of Criminology at Western Galilee College, examined whether a teen's view of his or her bodyweight impacted his or her risk of developing an eating disorder. The study included 323 male and female teenagers in 7th through 12th grades. The average age of participants was 14.5 years. According to study results, 41 percent of adolescents are unhappy with their weight, 47 percent believe they are fat, and 30 percent would like to lose more than 11 pounds. Approximately 6 percent were found to be at high risk for developing anorexia nervosa.

Bracha Katz-Sheiban, study author and a specialist on suicidal behaviors, explained why adolescents who define themselves as fat are at higher risk for developing an eating disorder than adolescents who think of themselves as thin: "Modern society associates various positive traits with an attractive and slim external appearance. ... This serves as a basis for the development of eating disorders, particularly among girls. ... Skinniness symbolizes self control, encouragement and restraining of cultural passions, while being fat symbolizes laziness and surrendering to different pleasures."

(Source: www.ynetnews.com)

Labels: fat, israel, teen

A Wisconsin family has decided to share the ongoing story of a 13-year-old's battle with anorexia. Susan and Kelly McKay are informing their daughter's teachers, friends, and classmates about her eating disorder. Their story has led to a change in school curriculum, and a life lesson for all involved.

Kerry McCarthy first showed signs on an eating disorder about a year ago. Her involvement in sports gave her an excuse to exercise several times a day, and she began counting calories very carefully. Her parents soon noticed that Kerry was using a focus on "healthy cooking" and "healthy eating" to camouflage the fact that she was actually consuming very few calories, and her eating habits were changing for the worse. Kerry's mom, Susan, recalls: "She would take tiny little bites and space each one out painfully slow." Kerry made it appear that she was eating, but the amount of food she actually consumed decreased to a dangerously low level for her height, age, and metabolism.

Kerry's condition continued to worsen until October, when the family made the three-hour drive to Iowa City to admit Kerry to an inpatient eating disorders treatment facility. At admission, Kerry was only 90 pounds and 5' 7" tall - she looked skeletal. Susan remembers, "It was definitely the hardest thing we have ever had to do. As a family we tried our hardest to turn this around at home but we were unsuccessful," says Susan. "In the beginning it started out very slowly, but it is amazing how quickly the disease took over."

Kerry's struggle with anorexia has caused her school to modify its health and science curriculum. Students now learn about nutrition and how it affects the body. Susan comments, "There is so much thrown out there by the media on this very subject ... but not enough helpful, constructive information so that young people don't fall into this trap of starving themselves."

Dr. Peggy Scallon, a physician in the department of childhood psychiatry and adolescence at University of Wisconsin Hospital, agrees that schools should take a more active role. "Schools can teach kids how to critically read and counter media and advertising messages. ... Curricula can also be presented to teach kids healthy coping strategies for stress, healthy communication, and the management of strong feelings, through the practice of mindfulness, relaxation, and emotional regulation."

(Source: www.madison.com)

Labels: eating disorder, teen, wisconsin