TEENS OBESITY - The cure for teen obesity?

The cure for teen obesity? Eating FIVE times a day: Small, regular meals prevent weight gain – even in those with ‘genetic fatness’

• - Belly fat in boys was notably less when they ate five small meals a day
• - Teenagers who skipped breakfast were more likely to be overweight
• - Regular eating reduces effect of eight gene mutations that cause obesity
• - 3 in 10 children in England aged 2-15 are overweight and a fifth are obese
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By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD

PUBLISHED: 13:19 GMT, 4 October 2013 | UPDATED: 13:55 GMT, 4 October 2013

Eating five meals a day - breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks - protects children against obesity, according to new research.

A study of more than 4,000 Finnish youngsters found those who skipped breakfast were more likely to be overweight.

The regular eating pattern also reduced the BMI (body mass index) increasing effect of eight gene mutations that cause obesity.

Study of more than 4,000 Finnish youngsters found those who skipped breakfast were more likely to be overweight. Doctors claim the UK has the highest rate of child obesity in Western Europe

It means when eating five meals a day even those with a genetic predisposition to obesity were no heavier than their classroom peers. Doctors claim the UK has the highest rate of child obesity in Western Europe. 

Obesity has been linked with serious illnesses during childhood and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, asthma and breathing difficulties during sleep.

National surveys in England suggest about three in ten children aged between two and 15 are overweight, while up to a fifth are obese.

Boys and girls who stuck to a regular five meal a day regime were at less risk of being overweight and obese

The latest study followed participants from before birth up until the age of 16 and aimed to identify early life risk factors for obesity.

It also investigated any association between the condition and meal frequency.

Both boys and girls who stuck to a regular five meal a day regime were at less risk of being overweight and obese.

The researchers also noted a particular reduction in excessive belly fat, or abdominal obesity, in boys which is most likely to trigger metabolic syndrome, a range of conditions that lead to diabetes and heart disease.

Moreover, the eating pattern zapped the effect of the common fat causing genetic variants whereas missing breakfast was associated with greater BMI and waist circumference.

Obesity has been linked with serious illnesses during childhood and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, asthma and breathing 

difficulties during sleep

The study also found mothers who gained more than seven kilograms (15.4lb) during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy increased the risk of obesity in the offspring.

But maternal obesity before pregnancy was a greater risk factor than this, with the father being obese almost as important.

The risk of obesity was strikingly high in adolescents whose parents were both overweight with a BMI of 25 or more throughout the 16 year follow up period.

Anne Jaaskelainen, of the University of Eastern Finland, said: 'These findings emphasise the importance of taking an early whole family approach to childhood obesity prevention.

'Furthermore, it is important to be aware the effects of predisposing genotypes can be modified by lifestyle habits such as regular meal frequency.'

The findings were published in International Journal of Obesity, International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, and PLOS One.

TEENS OBESITY - Obese Teens and their Hidden Metabolic Abnormalities

By Douglas Robb

In addition to all of the social, mental & emotional crap that goes along with being a fat teenager, researchers have found that even when obese teens ‘feel’ healthy, blood tests show that they are likely to have high levels of:

• Inflammation
• Insulin Resistance
• Homocysteine

And it gets worse – high levels of inflammation, insulin resistance and homocysteine means that the process of developing heart disease has already begun to happen.

The Study

Researchers compared the diets and blood test results of 33 obese youths (ages 11 to 19) with 19 age-matched youths of normal weight.

Blood tests revealed that the obese teens had:

• C-reactive protein levels almost ten times higher than controls, indicating more inflammation in the body.
• Insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, with greater amounts of insulin needed to keep blood sugar levels normal.
• Homocysteine levels 62 percent higher than controls. High levels of the amino acid homocysteine are related to greater heart disease risk.
• Total glutathione levels 27.9 percent lower than controls, with oxidized glutathione levels 125 percent higher. A higher ratio of oxidized to non-oxidized glutathione indicates oxidative stress, an imbalance in the production of cell-damaging free radicals and the body’s ability to neutralize them. Oxidative stress leads to more inflammation and an increase in blood vessel damage and stiffening.

“Looking at the numbers you would think these children might feel sick, but they did not. They are apparently feeling well, but there is a lot going on beneath the surface.”

Conclusion

Don’t assume that your kid is going to grow out of his or her ‘baby fat’.

Obesity is a medical symptom telling you that their body is not working as well as it should be.

A diet that is high in calories and low in nutrition sets off a whole bunch of metabolic processes that often lead straight to obesity…and inflammation and insulin resistance and heart disease.

So, stop being their friend…and start being a parent.