Reports in the press related to diet and nutrition are often conflicting -- and can easily confuse than clarify the issue of what people should eat to prevent obesity.

Researchers at the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health recently conducted a comprehensive review of the literature published between 1992 and 2003 on the dietary determinants of obesity in children
and adults.

Read about their findings here. (PDF)

Posted by Cyril at 11:30 AM | Permalink

From California Agriculture

The statistics are alarming: the prevalence of overweight children has tripled over the last 30 years, and now affects one in six school-aged children nationwide. But while the problem is plain to see, the remedy has been elusive. Recent studies by UC researchers and others reveal that the rise in childhood obesity is rooted in fundamental social changes, explaining why this epidemic is so hard to control as well as bringing us closer to a solution.

“We used to think the primary cause was parenting, then we thought it was genetic,” says Pat Crawford, co-director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health. “But neither could explain the rapid increase in childhood obesity — we found that a significant fraction is environmental.”

Children are considered to be overweight when their body mass index (weight divided by height squared) is at or above the 95th percentile for their age. Half of overweight children continue to be overweight as adults, increasing their risk of illnesses including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma.

Continue reading "Teaming up helps bring down childhood overweight" »

Posted by Cyril at 11:07 AM | Permalink| Comments (0)

The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation has pledged $10 million to the Center for Weight and Health at the University of California, Berkeley, to support nutrition research and obesity prevention programs.

Continue reading "Atkins Foundation pledges $10 million to Center for Weight and Health" »

Posted by Cyril at 3:15 PM | Permalink

On Homecoming weekend, Professor Marc Hellerstein presented major themes of his current research in nutritional sciences, including working with complex systems, promising research in ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease), and harnessing the health benefits of caloric restriction and exercise.

Continue reading "Biochemical Moving Pictures: Homecoming Podcast" »

Posted by Eva St. Clair at 11:32 AM | Permalink

Dieting, particularly in adolescence, can be counterproductive.

One expert, Joanne Ikeda, found that out when she surveyed adult women about their dieting habits in a study published in 2004 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. She asked 149 obese women if they had dieted and if so, how many times and when.

Continue reading "Child diets don't fight obesity" »

Posted by Cyril at 4:38 PM | Permalink