Children's Overweight/Obesity

Schools with universal free school meals saw greater meal participation, as well as improvements in attendance and suspensions, according to a systematic review published in JAMA Network Open.

The global prevalence of adolescents who underestimate their body weight increased within the last 2 decades, which could hurt engagement in weight reduction efforts, according to researchers.

The implementation of legislation that encourages healthy eating habits was associated with reduced BMI scores among youth in the United States, according to study findings published in JAMA Pediatrics.

An intervention program aimed at preventing childhood obesity in a region of Australia lowered BMI z scores and obesity prevalence during the first 2 years of the trial, but not in the subsequent 2 years, according to study data.

From May 2020 to September 2020, nearly one-third of parents who were surveyed reported that their children gained weight, but researchers did not find any “clear patterns” in home food environment changes.

Children who were overweight and had low-level prenatal lead exposure may have worsened kidney function later in life, according to research published in Environment International.

Sending young children from low-income households to free summer day camps could help reduce gains in BMI during summer break, according to a randomized clinical trial in JAMA Pediatrics.