(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #2, 2013 of Nutrition Research Reviews presents the case that social norms can likely influence eating habits and may have an impact on the effectiveness of various interventions. Although it is possible unfair to comment on this conclusion without reading the full article, our immediate reaction is dismay. Surely this analysis is not new. There is a wide and deep body of knowledge on social influences that affect our behaviours...peers, close friends, the media, parents, social norms and so on. We also know that modifying normative beliefs is an important part of educational programs, including efforts to change the beliefs of students and the teachers. Surely we can move beyond this simple, endless analysis and produce research studying which interventions are more effective in counter-acting or strengthening which influences. Read more>>
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(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #2, 2013 of Nutrition Research Reviews offers a unique macro-analysis of how food intake and physical activity have both declined in the UK. The attiocle suggests that both have declined, but the levels of food intake have not declined as much as activity levels, thereby creating the obesity/overweight trend. However, the provocative wording of the article also caught our attention in as much it shows how easily we can revert to stigmatizing attitudes and terminology. Read more>>
(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in October, 2013 Issue of BMC Public Health describes the weight status of German kindergarten teachers and suggests that their health is at greater risk than that of the general population and that they may offer an unhealthy role model for their students. The researchers report that "Kindergarten teachers aged 18–62 years (n = 313) were invited to complete a self-reported questionnaire. Their obesity status, health risk behaviors (i.e., habitual physical activity, screen time activities, eating behavior patterns, smoking), and their general ability to identify overweight children and the associated health risks of overweight and obesity based on special age- and sex-specific silhouettes were analyzed. Data regarding kindergarten teachers’ weight status and smoking behavior were compared with nationally representative data from the 2009 Microcensus (n = 371310) using the Mann–Whitney U-test. The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 41.2% and 17.9%, respectively. The prevalence of obesity was significantly higher in kindergarten teachers (p < 0.001) compared to national Microcensus data. Only 44.6% of teachers were able to identify overweight children correctly. The fact that being overweight is associated with physical and mental health risks was only reported by 40.1% and 21.2% of teachers, respectively. Older kindergarten teachers were more likely to misclassify the overweight silhouettes, while younger, normal-weight, and overweight kindergarten teachers were more likely to underestimate the associated health risks. Obese kindergarten teachers reported spending more time in front of computer and television screens than their normal-weight counterparts, especially on weekends. In addition, obese kindergarten teachers reported eating less often with their families and more frequently reported watching television during meals. Read more>>
(An item from the ISHN Member information service) We have been tracking the absence of effect on physical activity programs on obesity/overweight in this web site. (PA has many other benefits but apparently not reductions in weight). However, it appears that a focus on mental health and friendships may hold greater promise. An article in the September issue of the Journal of School Health reports on the aboriginal adaptation of the Healthy Buddies program. The authors note that: "There was a significant decrease in zBMI (1.10 to 1.04, p = .028) and WC (77.1 to 75.0 cm, p < .0001) in the HB group (N = 118) compared with an increase in zBMI (1.14 to 1.23, p = .046) and a minimal WC change in the control group (N = 61). Prevalence of elevated BP did not change in the HB group, but increased from 16.7% to 31.7% in the control group (p = .026). General linear model analysis revealed a significant interaction between time, group, and zBMI (p = .001), weight status (p = .014), nutritious beverage knowledge (p = .018), and healthy living and self-esteem score (p = .005). The HB program is a promising school-based strategy for addressing obesity and self-esteem in Aboriginal children." Read More>>
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