Children of obese mums may die younger.

Source: NHS Choices: Behind the Headlines

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Date of publication: 14^th August, 2013

Publication type: Journal article.

In a nutshell: A closer look behind the recent headlines which suggested that children of obese mothers were more likely to die earlier.

Length of publication: 1 webpage.

Some important notes: Follow this link to read the full text of the original research discussed in this article.

Waist circumference-to-height ratio predicts adiposity better than body mass index in children and adolescents

Source: International Journal of Obesity, 2013, 37 (7), p. 943-46.

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Date of publication: July 2013.

Publication type: Research.

In a nutshell: This study compared different methods of measuring adiposity in over 2000 children and adolescents to determine their ability to predict body adiposity. Results showed that waist-circumference-to-height-ratio (WCHt) is better than waist circumference (WC) or BMI at predicting adiposity in this group and could be a useful surrogate of body adiposity when skin folds measurements are not available.

Length of publication: 4 pages.

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Effects of promoting longer-term and exclusive breastfeeding on adiposity and insulin-like growth factor-I at age 11.5 years: a randomized trial.

Source: JAMA, 2013, 309(10), p.1005-1013
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Date of publication: 13th March, 2013.
Publication type: Research.
In a nutshell: The findings of this study suggest that whilst breast feeding is good for babies, it is unlikely to halt the obesity epidemic in children. The trial tested an intervention to encourage exclusive breast feeding of healthy singleton babies, which worked. However, the additional breast feeding, which was substantial, didn’t prevent overweight or obesity a decade later and made no discernible difference to children’s body mass index.
Length of publication: 9 pages.
Some important notes: This article is available in full text to all NHS Staff using Athens. For more information about accessing full text, follow this link to find your local NHS Library

A better index of body adiposity.

Source: Obesity, 2011, 19, p. 1083-1089.

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Date of publication: May 2011.

Publication type: Research.

In a nutshell: BMI (Body Mass Index) has been used for many years but has been argued to have limited accuracy.  This paper presents the BAI (Body Adiposity Index) – which may be calculated using hip circumference and height alone without the need for numerical correction – as an alternative method of estimating body fat for men and women of differing ethnicities.

Length of publication: 7 pages.

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.