In a meeting today, my companion asked me about my views on fruit and fruit juice. In short, my reply was that I think fruit is over-rated, and that fruit juice should generally be avoided. Many of the reasons for my ambivalence about fruit (and why much fruit is anything but some sort of nutritional […]
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If we want children to eat more healthily, it’s best to explain why
I read this week about concerns that, in the UK, conditions such as scurvy and rickets are on the way back as a result of dietary deficiencies. A shift in the diet away from nutritious fare towards ‘junk’ and fast foods is said to be to blame. My experience is that many parents are keen […]
What do migraine and colic have in common?
A study published today links migraine and colic [1]. In this research, children and adolescents aged 6-18 who suffered from migraine were much more likely to have had colic as infants compared to children without migraine (about 73 per cent versus 26 per cent). Statistics like these suggest that migraine and colic may have a […]
Could dairy products be the cause of some children’s constipation?
Last week I report on a study which finds that, in some people, there’s a very real possibility that plenty of fibre in their diet can cause, rather than cure, constipation and sluggish bowel movements. This week, I came across a recent study which suggests another perhaps surprising cause of constipation in the form of […]
Review looks at the potential role of light therapy in children, pregnancy and eating disorders
It’s early October, and here in the UK there’s a distinct sense that the days are becoming ever-shorter and the nights are drawing in. This change in lighting condition can, for some, spell a distinct downturn in general levels or energy and wellbeing. Others can be prone to food cravings in the winter. Still others […]
Doctors criticise plans for cholesterol screening in children
Back in November 2011, a panel of experts assembled by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in the US published recommendations regarding cholesterol screening in children. The panel recommended that all children aged 9-11 should be screened, and that more targeted testing (in those deemed to be at high risk) should be used […]
A cautionary tale regarding the screening of ‘weight issues’ in children
The body mass index is a commonly used measure of body size. It’s calculated by dividing someone’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. It looks kinda ‘sciency’, but actually it’s a quite useless measurement, principally because it takes absolutely no account of the body’s composition nor the distribution of fat […]
Vitamin D deficiency major problem in the UK and is linked with ‘sudden infant death’
The BBC here in the UK has had a recent blitz on stories relating to vitamin D, particularly vitamin D deficiency in children and its potential to cause rickets (and the characteristic weakened, deformed bones prone to fracture). However, some doctors are suspicious that vitamin D deficiency may be an underlying factor in ‘sudden infant […]
Podcast – 11th November 2011
Statins appear to do about as much harm as good, more exercise unlikely to help tackle childhood obesity, flu vaccines and Tamiflu still not very effective (despite what some doctors may think). For RSS feeds, click on http://www.podcastmachine.com/podcasts/8966 and then the ‘RSS feeds’ button to the right. For help regarding the playing, downloading and subscribing […]
Why giving children more opportunity to exercise is unlikely to put a dent in rates of obesity
I can across this report today. It’s based on a study which finds that British children are generally most active between 5.00 and 8.00 pm. Between late March to late October, here in the UK we run on British Summer Time (Greenwich Mean Time minus 1 hour). From late October to late March we revert […]
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