Study Shows Obesity Intervention Programs Work Better for Younger Children

by Jess Colon-Polk on July 16, 2010

Community based programs to end childhood obesity are growing more and more popular now that Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign has been in the spotlight, but according to a study presented this week at the International Congress on Obesity, some are working better than others.

The study, done by researchers at the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Obesity Prevention at Deakin University in Australia, focused on healthy diet, physical activity and included strategies to continue the community programs after the study ended.
It turns out that the most successful interventions were with children younger than five. In this group, the prevalence of overweight or obese children dropped about 3 percent lower than the control group.

Primary school-aged groups didn’t see any reductions in overweight or obesity levels, but did show a reduction in weight gain and results for the interventions in the teen group (done in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand) had varying results. Australian teens (who were mostly of European ancestry) lost weight, but those in other countries who were from the Pacific Islands or were of Indian heritage showed mixed outcomes.

This difference due to ethnicity brings up an interesting point. Researchers say typical techniques have not been enough for many ethnic groups.

Hopefully, as more and more programs are implemented everywhere, strategies to prevent childhood obesity can be refined and fine-tuned for people of all colors, races and creed (who may need these programs the most).

Tagged as: Australia, Childhood obesity, Deakin University, Let's Move, Michelle Obama, WHO, World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Obesity Prevention

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Discovery of the Human Tongue’s Sixth Sense may Help Fight Obesity

by Jess Colon-Polk on March 11, 2010

photo courtesy of Topnews.in

photo courtesy of Topnews.in

This morning, during my usual search for interesting news and information regarding childhood obesity, I came across an interesting study conducted by Deakin University in Australia and in conjunction with New Zealand’s Massey University. The University’s scientists have announced the discovery of the “sixth sense” of the human tongue, and are claiming that it may unlock a worthy weapon in the fight against obesity.

Previously, the human tongue was only known to detect five tastes (bitter, salty, sour, sweet and umami). But this study has discovered the tongue can also detect fat. Experts believe this discovery could help in developing foods that trick the body into thinking it has consumed enough fat, helping people eat less junk.

Researcher and Massey University Associate Professor, Matt Golding said that people’s taste threshold for fat varies from person to person – and those who were more sensitive to the taste tended to eat less fatty foods (and be slimmer). “The high fat-tasting population appeared to have a lower BMI [body mass index] than those who had a poor ability to taste fat,” states Golding.

So, how will this be used to help fight the battle of the bulge? Well, researchers claim that the study’s findings could eventually lead to the development of solutions for tackling obesity by promoting the taste of fat in foods.

Interesting concept. I have a hard time imagining what synthetic fat flavor would taste like though. And will it satiate those with a low sensitivity for fatty taste? Will it be like the messy Olestra craze all over again? We shall see.

Read more about this study in this month’s issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.

Tagged as: Australia, British Journal of Nutrition, cure for obesity, Deakin University, fat, human tongue, junk food, Massey University, Matt Golding, new research, obesity, obesity weapon, overweight, synthetic fat, taste, taste's sixth sense

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