children health Archives - Amazing Health Advances

1/3 Children Worldwide Forecast to be Obese or Overweight by 2050

The AHA! Team — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 05:39:15 +0000

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute via EurekAlert! – Obesity rates are set to skyrocket, with one in six children and adolescents worldwide forecast to be obese by 2050, according to a new study. But with significant increases predicted within the next five years, the researchers stress urgent action now could turn the tide on the public health crisis. The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in The Lancet, found a third of children and adolescents will be overweight (385 million) or obese (360 million) within the next 25 years. The forecast equates to 356 million children aged 5–14 years and 390 million aged 15–24 years with one in six facing obesity. The global obesity rate for those between 5-24 years old tripled from 1990 to 2021, rising by 244 per cent to 174 million, suggesting that current approaches to curbing increases in obesity have failed a generation of young people. As of 2021, 493 million children and adolescents were overweight or obese. MCRI Dr Jessica Kerr said if immediate five-year action plans were not developed, the future was bleak for our youth. “Children and adolescents remain a vulnerable population within the obesity epidemic,” she said. Prevention is key as obesity rarely resolves after adolescence. “This giant burden will not only cost the health system and the economy billions, but complications associated with a high Body Mass Index (BMI), including diabetes, cancer, heart problems, breathing issues, fertility problems and mental health challenge, will negatively impact our children and adolescents now and into the future, even holding the potential to impact our grandchildren’s risk of obesity and quality of life for decades to come. “Despite these findings indicating monumental societal failures and a lack of coordinated global action across the entire developmental window to reduce obesity, our results provide optimism that this trajectory can be avoided if action comes before 2030.” The analysis, released on World Obesity Day, used the 2021 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation to estimate the latest overweight and obesity levels and forecasts in 204 countries and territories. The United Arab Emirates, Cook Islands, Nauru and Tonga are forecast to have the highest prevalence while China, Egypt, India and the US will have the greatest number of children and adolescents with obesity by 2050. In Australia, children and adolescents have experienced some of the fastest transitions to obesity in the world. Girls are already more likely to be obese than overweight. Overall, by 2050 for those aged 5-24 years, 2.2 million are forecasted to be obese and 1.6 million overweight. Globally, there will be more boys, 5–14 years, with obesity than being overweight by 2050. “Without urgent policy reform, the transition to obesity will be particularly rapid in north Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and in the Caribbean, where the rise is concurrent with high population numbers and limited resources,” Dr Kerr said. “Many regions have historically had to focus on preventing undernutrition and stunting in children. To prevent a public health emergency from this newer threat, an immediate imperative should be creating national surveillance surveys of obesity in children and adolescents in every country.” Dr Kerr said older adolescent girls, aged 15-24 years entering their reproductive years, were a priority population for intervention. “Adolescent girls who are obese are a main focus if we are to avoid intergenerational transmission of obesity, chronic conditions and the dire financial and societal costs across future generations,” she said. “With this age group increasingly being out of school and cared for by adult services, we need to focus interventions at the community and commercial level.” MCRI Professor Susan Sawyer said governments needed to invest in multicomponent strategies that reduce obesity drivers, across food and drink, activity, lifestyle and the built environment. “While people and families can work to balance their physical activity, diet and sleep, everything in our environments works to counteract these efforts,” she said. “Given this huge global shift in children’s and adolescents’ weight, we can no longer keep blaming people for their choices. We require governments to step up by addressing regulatory interventions including taxing sugar sweetened beverages, banning junk food advertising aimed at children and young people and funding healthy meals in primary and secondary schools. We also need to consider the benefits of wider policies such as overhauling urban planning to encourage active lifestyles.” Publication: ‘Global, regional, and national prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity, 1990-2021, with forecasts to 2050: a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021,’ The Lancet. *The content of this communication is the sole responsibility of MCRI and does not reflect the views of the NHMRC. Available for interview: Dr Jessica Kerr, MCRI Adolescent Health researcher Professor Susan Sawyer, MCRI, Group Leader, Adolescent Health Professor Peter Azzopardi, MCRI, Group Leader, Global Adolescent Health Journal The Lancet DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00397-6 To read the original article click here.

The post 1/3 Children Worldwide Forecast to be Obese or Overweight by 2050 appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Chest Pain in Children and Adolescents

The AHA! Team — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 06:11:28 +0000

Jennifer S. Li, MD via Duke Health – Chest pain is a common complaint in children and adolescents. Chest pain is often perceived as “heart pain” both to children and their parents, and it can cause a lot of distress. However, chest pain in children is very rarely due to a heart problem and most often arises from a less worrisome source. Jennifer S. Li, MD, a Duke pediatric cardiologist, discusses common causes of chest pain in children What causes chest pain? Chest pain in children and adolescents is common but is generally benign. However, chest pain with exercise or that is associated with fast heart beat, dizziness, or fainting can indicate a heart problem. Many structures located in the chest can cause or contribute to chest pain. Among these are the muscles, tendons, cartilage, or bones of the chest, lungs, heart, gastrointestinal system, and nerves. A problem in any one of these areas can cause chest pain. How often is chest pain due to a heart problem? In older adults, chest pain is frequently due to a heart problem. This is because heart disease mostly strikes older people. In kids, chest pain is very rarely due to a heart problem. A prospective study in 50 children referred to a cardiology clinic showed that 76% had pain from the muscles, bones, or cartilage; 12% had exercise-induced asthma; 8% had pain from gastrointestinal causes; and 4% had pain due to psychogenic causes. Another study of 3700 children without previously known heart problems found a low incidence of heart problems (1%). What about the kid who dies on the playing field? While a lot of media attention is given to cases of sudden cardiac death in kids playing sports, these are extremely rare events among the millions of children and adolescents who participate in athletics. Many instances are related to previously undiagnosed underlying heart conditions. Because of this, it’s important and necessary to have your child complete a sports physical before participating in competitive athletics. Sometimes underlying conditions related to sudden cardiac death have genetic factors, so a careful family history is also an important part of the pre-sports evaluation. What are some common causes of chest pain? Some common causes include: Musculoskeletal: This is usually related to muscle strain or heavy lifting. Costrochondritis: Inflammation of the cartilage around the junction of the ribs to the breastbone. Precordial Catch Syndrome: Sharp stabbing chest pain below the breast that lasts a few seconds and is worsened by taking a deep breath. It may be due to a pinched nerve. Asthma: This is frequently a cause of exercise-induced chest pain. Gastroesophageal Reflux: Usually burning pain worsened while lying down after eating. Anxiety: Typically related to stress or excessive worry. What are some heart-related causes of chest pain? Several cardiac problems have the potential to cause chest pain. Some of these include: Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (blockage of the outflow of the heart to the body): a heart murmur is present. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: usually an inherited condition causing a thickened heart muscle. Anomalous coronary arteries: coronary artery arising off of the wrong sinus, causing chest pain with exercise. Rhythm disturbances: chest pain is typically associated with the feeling of the heart beating too fast. Pericarditis: inflammation of the lining of the heart often preceded by a viral illness. What are some worrisome symptoms of a heart-related cause of chest pain? Chest pain with exercise, associated with irregular or fast heart beat, or associated with dizziness or syncope (fainting) are symptoms that can indicate a serious heart problem. Chest pain in someone with a first-degree relative who has a history of sudden death or cardiomyopathy should be evaluated. Chest pain that occurs at rest without other associated symptoms is not typically due to a heart problem. What is the usual evaluation that is performed? A careful history and physical examination are necessary and can usually identify the cause for the chest pain. Sometimes laboratory studies may be needed such as an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram, or an exercise stress test. To read the original article click here.

The post Chest Pain in Children and Adolescents appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Government Report Links Fluoride Intake to Lowered IQ in Children

The AHA! Team — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:10:05 +0000

Ethan Huff via Natural News – The United States government has once again found that consuming fluoride is really dangerous, especially for children. A new report from the National Toxicology Program (NTP), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), reveals that exposure to fluoridated water at levels twice the recommended limit of 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/l) of water is linked to lower IQ. Keep in mind that prior to 2015, the government-recommended fluoride level for drinking water was 1.5 mg/l. For many decades – and still in some U.S. cities today that have not adjusted their fluoride levels to the new 0.7 mg/l standard – children across the U.S. have been forced to consume and bathe in water that was fluoridated at levels of 1.5 mg/l, which the NTP now admits causes brain damage and lowers IQ in children. The new study, which includes data and analyses from previously published research, marks the first time that a U.S. federal agency has determined “with moderate confidence” that fluoride damages children’s brains. “While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride,” The Associated Press (AP) reported. (Related: Harvard University researchers identified a link between fluoride and ADHD and mental disorders some 10 years ago, but fluoridated water keeps on flowing through taps across the U.S.) Drinking, bathing in any amount of fluoride isn’t safe The CDC still claims that fluoride consumption at lower levels is safe, helping to re-mineralize teeth and prevent dental caries (cavities). How is a person supposed to regulate this, though, when people are exposed to fluoridated water at unknown levels each and every day? If a person lives in a fluoridated area and consumes food and beverages made with fluoridated water, not to mention brushing one’s teeth with fluoridated toothpaste, the amount of fluoride that ends up being ingested has the potential to be very high. Even if fluoride does the things that public health officials continue to claim it does for the benefit of health, the drug needs to be regulated and controlled at specific levels in actual drug products, not laced into the water supply. “I think this (report) is crucial in our understanding,” commented Ashley Malin, a researcher at the University of Florida who has been studying the effects of fluoride on pregnant women and their unborn children, calling the study the most rigorous of its kind. For their study, researchers at the NTP reviewed a cohort of studies from Canada, China, Iran, India, Pakistan and Mexico looking at fluoridated drinking water. Based on the results of all these studies, the NTP determined that consuming fluoridated water at levels greater than 1.5 mg/l results in lost IQ points. While the review itself did not determine exactly how many IQ points are lost due to drinking fluoridated water, several of the studies included as part of the review suggested that children not exposed to fluoridated drinking water have an IQ that is anywhere between two and five points higher than their fluoridated counterparts. Children not exposed to fluoridated drinking water have an IQ between two and five points higher The World Health Organization (WHO), by the way, still recommends that water supplies be fluoridated at a level of 1.5 mg/l, which is more than double the new recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of 2015 that only 0.7 mg/l of fluoride be added to water supplies. Currently, about 0.6 percent of the total U.S. population, around 1.9 million people, are still exposed to drinking water fluoridated at levels of 1.5 mg/l or higher. “The findings from this report raise the questions about how these people can be protected and what makes the most sense,” Malin added. More related news coverage can be found at Fluoride.news. Sources for this article include: APNews.com NaturalNews.com To read the original article, click here: https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-08-25-government-report-fluoride-intake-lowered-iq-children.html

The post Government Report Links Fluoride Intake to Lowered IQ in Children appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Children and COVID-19 Risk (Coronavirus)

AHA Publisher — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 07:00:03 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Are you concerned about children and COVID-19 risk? Are they infected as much as adults? What are their symptoms? What protects them? What increases their risk? Based on the most recent data from studies from China and around the world, we have some answers and recommendations. Here’s the most current information on children and COVID-19 risk. Children and COVID-19 Risk (Coronavirus) Recent Studies from China: Infection Rates Among Children One study from China focused on the infection rate of children versus adults. These researchers looked at 391 people with confirmed COVID-19 and 1,286 individuals who were in close contact with those with confirmed cases. The individuals in close contact were tested to see who contracted the virus and who did not. The researchers found that 7.4% of children under age 10 who were in close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients contracted the virus. This infection rate was similar to adults, whose rate was 7.9% in this study. The researchers concluded that the infection rate is similar even if the rate of severe symptoms is much different (1). Rate of Severe Symptoms and Disease Another group of scientists studied 2143 pediatrics cases of COVID-19 from the China Center of Disease Control and Prevention. The cases broke down as follows: 731 were confirmed to have COVID-19 from laboratory tests 1412 were confirmed via symptoms, x-rays, etc. the median age of all patients was 7 years (range: 2-13 years old) 1213 cases (56.6%) were boys and 930 were girls (43.4%) Overall, only a small percentage of kids had severe cases (about 10% vs. an estimated 20% of all adult cases). The severe risk breakdown was: 10.6% of infants less than a year experienced severe symptoms or critical disease 7.3% of ages 1 to 5 had severe symptoms or critical disease 4.2% for 6-to-10-year-olds 4.1% for 11-to-15-year-olds 3% for those 16 and older One child died, age 14 What do these numbers tell us? While this is a limited data set, the numbers do give us some insight. Based on this data, there was not a significant difference in the infection of girls vs. boys. Many of the kids with confirmed cases were completely asymptomatic, but risk of severe disease was great among infants. The researchers also noted that the most severe symptoms occurred early in the disease. Most children experienced the majority of symptoms from illness onset to diagnosis (average of 2 days). Then, it became a more steady, mild disease that tapered off in symptoms (2). Information from the United States Centers of Disease Control According to our CDC guidelines, children do not appear to be at a higher risk than adults, unlike other viruses such as influenza. So far, adults make up the majority of known cases. Children should take the same precautions as adults to reduce risk of contracting and spreading the virus. You can find more at cdc.gov. Highest Risk Factors for Children and COVID-19 Like adults, kids with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, lung or heart disease, diabetes, and immunocompromising conditions are at higher risk than those without these conditions. In addition, children often have a more difficult time restraining from touching their faces than adults. To reduce the risk for children: Practice the same tips as those outlined here (Dr. Colbert’s Keys to Avoid COVID-19) Keep children home from school and activities Practice social distancing when they are outside of the home Encourage exercise and activity within your home or outside (away from others) Encourage frequent handwashing, even more than adults, as they may touch their facing more If your child is an infant or has pre-existing conditions, be even more diligent with hand washing and in keeping them away from others outside the family, whether they display symptoms or not. Call a doctor is your child becomes symptomatic, such as: Any difficulty breathing. This can display as rapid or forceful breathing, pale or bluish skin color, trouble nursing or taking a bottle, etc. A fever, especially one that does not respond to medicine Unusually fatigue or lethargy Trouble hydrating or refusal to eat or drink If possible, call your doctor or hospital before coming into an office to reduce the risk to your own child and others. Bottom Line According to the data we have available, children may contract the COVID virus at a similar rate as adults, but often display no symptoms or mild symptoms. However, infants and those with pre-existing conditions are still at a higher risk. It’s important for children, like adults, to practice strategies of social distancing, handwashing or hand-sanitizer use, and disease prevention. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

The post Children and COVID-19 Risk (Coronavirus) appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.