Study reviews Childhood Obesity Research

A review of child obesity studies found a lack of long-term and large-scale research that examined the right factors to explain the surge in childhood obesity. Clemson University researchers partnered with other university researchers to examine the studies into childhood obesity.  The results of their analysis suggest that funding maybe going to the wrong types of child obesity studies. The review of 61 studies that met the study criteria found mixed impact from the ways that sedentary behavior, food choices, family factors, the physical activity environment or other measurable characteristics (biomarkers) influenced children in becoming overweight or obese. More than 33% of children and adolescents, ages 6 to 19, are overweight or obese, according to the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, who led the study. Researchers concluded that given that childhood obesity is a worldwide public health concern, the field can benefit from large-scale, long-term prospective studies that use state-of-the-art measures in a diverse sample of children and adolescents.  The study findings are published in Obesity Reviews, a journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.