The Scan by 2 Minute Medicine®: The Fight Against Childhood Obesity, Prioritizing Mental Health, The Rise of XBB1.5, and Choose Your Chocolates Wisely

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The Fight Against Childhood Obesity

The Story: The American Academy of Pediatrics recently published clinical guidelines to treat childhood obesity and recommended that pediatricians “offer treatment options early and at the highest available intensity”.

Tell me more about childhood obesity…

Childhood obesity, defined by the body mass index being above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex, is one of the most common pediatric chronic diseases. In recent years, celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Beyonce, and Ellen DeGeneres have been actively involved in the initiative to fight childhood obesity. The prevalence of childhood obesity, according to the CDC, is 19.7% and affects nearly 14.7 million children and adolescents. The prevalence is highest among Hispanic children (26.2%) compared to non-Hispanic Black children (24.8%), and is the lowest in non-Hispanic Asian children (9%). 

Obesity is a complex disease with socioeconomic, physiologic, genetic and environmental factors at play and it is important to take all of these factors into consideration when helping prevent and offering treatment for children with childhood obesity.

So, what do the new guidelines say? 

The new guidelines encourage pediatricians to offer intensive treatment options, including therapy and medications, earlier. These evidence based recommendations highlight that obesity treatment is both safe and effective. The options for treatment include motivational interviewing, intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment, the use of medications, and metabolic and bariatric surgery. To read more about how medications such as Semaglutide are used to treat patients with obesity, we have a great article for you here!

But how can we prevent childhood obesity?

Here are four tips that the CDC suggests. First, adopt healthy eating patterns that consist of a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and either low fat or fat-free dairy. Second, prioritize physical activity and do more activities together as a family, such as walking with your pet, racing in the yard or doing chores together. Third, have a consistent sleep routine. Not only does a good night of rest help prevent obesity, it also plays a role in preventing type 2 diabetes, injuries, the development of learning issues and the tendency to be less physically active. And finally, reduce screen time – both to improve sleep quality and reduce weight gain.

Prioritizing Mental Health

In her recent interview with People, Kristen Bell opened up about her role as a celebrity ambassador with Hers, a telehealth company. Kristen Bell has previously been open about her own struggles with anxiety and depression and the importance of seeking care when it is needed. In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic alone, there was a 25% increase in the global prevalence of anxiety and depression.  One in six adults in the United States takes either antidepressants or another type of psychiatric medication, yet there is a stigma around taking medications to manage mental health conditions. The actress recalled her mom telling her “Don’t ever feel shame in taking an antidepressant because would you ever shame someone who has diabetes for taking their insulin? No, your body needs it”. Kristen Bell is one of several celebrities such as Zendaya,  Michael Phelps, Selena Gomez, Justin Beiber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Chris Evans, who have been advocates for mental health!

The Rise of XBB1.5

Since Jan 21st 2020, there have been over 101.5 million cases of COVID 19 and over 1 million deaths due to COVID 19 in the United States. In the past week, there have been 414, 720 new cases as per the CDC. You may have heard on the news that with the new year, came a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 called XBB.1.5. This omicron subvariant makes up 28% of US COVID-19 cases overall, and in the last week, accounted for 43% of cases in the US.  This variant has a unique advantage due to a mutation in its spike protein which allows it to better evade antibodies and makes it the most transmissible variant. Because it has already been identified in over 25 different countries, it might be more important now than ever to do our part to avoid getting infected or reinfected.

Choose Your Chocolates Wisely

Jo Brand once said “Everything is good if it’s made of chocolate”, but a recent statement in consumer reports suggests otherwise. Twenty eight well known brands of dark chocolate including Trader Joe’s, Hershey, Lindt, Godiva and Dove were tested, and every single one contained lead and cadmium. To determine which types of chocolate would carry the most risk with consumption, California’s maximum allowable dose level (MADL) were used, where levels above 100% would indicate excessive levels of lead and cadmium. Lawsuits have been filed against a few of these brands, as consumers felt misled about the metal content of chocolate. Taza chocolate and Ghiradelli were listed as ‘safe choices’ but well known brands like Hersheys and Lindt may be exposing you to harmful chemicals. Low levels of lead can impact children’s cognitive abilities and high levels can cause brain damage, kidney damage and anemia. High levels of cadmium can cause vomiting and diarrhea. To be on the safer side, try to have a well-balanced diet, be selective about which chocolates you consume and the quantity of consumption and try to choose chocolates from brands that may be a safer alternative.

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