Context: Video games represent amultibillion-dollar industry in the U.S. Although video gaming has been associated with many negative health consequences, it also may be useful for therapeutic purposes. The goal of this study was to determine whether video games may be useful in improving health outcomes. Evidence acquisition: Literature searches were performed in February 2010 in six databases: the Center on Media and Child Health Database of Research, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE,...

Context: In-store food marketing can influence food-purchasing behaviors and warrants increased attention given the dramatic rise in obesity. Descriptive and experimental studies of key marketing components have been conducted by consumer scientists, marketing researchers, and public health experts. This review synthesizes research and publications from industry and academic sources and provides direction for developing and evaluating promising interventions. Evidence acquisition:...

Mexican-American children are disproportionately affected by obesity. Data on how acculturation process influences diet and body weight among adolescents are limited. We used the data from the 1999-2004 NHANES, restricting to 2,286 Mexican American children between 12-19 years old. Acculturation was measured by generation status and language preference. Diet was assessed using 24-h diet recall. Multiple linear, Tobit, logistic, and quantile regression models were used. We found, after...

An anti-obesity drug that homes in on and destroys blood vessels that support fat reduced the weight of obese rhesus monkeys by 11 percent in one month. It also trimmed their waistlines by eradicating 27 percent of their abdominal fat. Obesity raises a person's risk for developing breast, ovarian, prostate, colon and other cancers and also hinders treatment for cancer patients. Scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who developed the drug discuss results of the...

Background: Dairy product and calcium consumption have been associated with modifying body fat and body weight in children and adults. Objective: In overweight adolescent boys and girls, we aimed to determine the effect of the doubling of habitual calcium intake to the recommended intake from dairy or calcium carbonate on energy balance and purported mechanisms including fecal fat excretion, macronutrient use, and parathyroid hormone suppression. Design: Twenty-five girls with a mean...

This research project set out to determine whether a farmers' market can serve as an effective intervention in the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity through expansion of access to fresh fruits and vegetables in communities with high levels of food insecurity. The use of a farmers' market as a community-based health intervention appeared to be a successful tool in the community of City Heights. Implementation of a farmers' market in similar communities may also...

BACKGROUND: Active living integrates physical activity into one's daily routine. Current understanding of active living among children and their families living in rural communities is limited. A community perspective is critical to understand the contextual factors that influence children's physical activity in rural areas. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the perceived environmental factors that support or hinder physical activity among rural children to develop...

Background: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in school-aged children is potentially linked to contextual influences such as the food environment around schools. The proximity of fast-food and convenience stores to schools may enhance access to unhealthy foods and have a negative impact on diet. Purpose: This study used spatial cluster analysis to determine whether food outlets are clustered around schools and evaluated the extent of food outlet clustering by school...

The prevalences of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and the metablic syndrome are rising rapidly both in Europe and worldwide. There is evidence that this is due to the population taking less exercise and becoming more sedentary, coupled with the increased consumption of high fat, low fibre foods (fast food or convenience food). The EXGENESIS consortium aims to provide insights into the reasons why poor diet and lack of exercise contribute to increasing levels of obesity and diabetes.

Context Recommended daily physical activity accumulated in short intervals (e.g., <10 minutes) may be more feasible and appealing to the relatively sedentary populace than longer bouts. The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review of the evidence for the effectiveness of short activity bouts incorporated into organizational routine as part of the regular “conduct of business.” Evidence acquisition PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases were searched in August...