Nutrition News

PHILADELPHIA — A new set of guidelines for managing comorbidities associated with pediatric obesity, including dyslipidemia, thyroid conditions and vitamin D deficiency, has been developed by researchers at Washburn University School of Nursing, according to a recent presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Children who drank alternatives to cow’s milk — including almond, soy or rice milk, as well as other dairy milk — were shorter than children who drank cow’s milk, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

When compared with women who ate low amounts of refined grains, women with gestational diabetes who consumed high proportions of refined grains gave birth to children who had a higher risk for obesity by age 7, according to research recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that clinicians screen for obesity in children and adolescents aged at least 6 years and offer or refer them to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions to promote improvements in weight status, according to a report recently published in JAMA.

Delegates at this week’s AMA annual meeting in Chicago adopted new policies intended to increase access to healthier food, continue support of vaccine policies, reduce nearsightedness in children, and prevent continued lead exposure, according to a press release.

AMA delegates approved a new policy during their annual meeting intended to reduce the amount of sugar Americans receive from beverages, according to a press release.

More than 2 billion children and adults globally were affected by excess weight in 2015, and the percentage of people dying from health conditions stemming from being overweight or obese is rising, according to findings published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Despite the European Union’s efforts to reduce the levels of inorganic arsenic in rice-based infant food to 0.1 mg/kg or less effective January 1, 2016, levels remain the same in nearly three-fourths of products specifically targeted for this demographic, including cakes, crackers and cereals.

Due to its high sugar and calorie content, in addition to its lack of protein and fiber, fruit juice should not be given to infants younger than 1 year, according to a joint AAP policy statement from the Committee on Nutrition and the Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

Gluten-free products have significantly different nutritional composition than their counterparts that contain gluten, which could especially impact children with celiac disease, according to research presented at the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition annual meeting.