Scientists have found an improvement in weight indicators in children when avoiding sugary drinks
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- Scientists have found an improvement in weight indicators in children when avoiding sugary drinks
Childhood obesity remains a serious public health problem, and trying to change multiple eating habits at once may be too difficult for families. The study showed that the program aimed at reducing the consumption of sugary drinks and increasing the amount of water consumed helped to improve the dynamics of body mass index in children over the year. About what results have been achieved and why scientists suggest focusing on one habit change, see the Izvestia article.
One habit instead of massive changes
The study is published in the journal JAMA Network Open. Scientists from the Boston University School of Public Health evaluated a program aimed at reducing the consumption of sugary drinks and increasing water consumption. The randomized trial involved 437 children aged 8 to 13 years and their parents or guardians.
The authors drew attention to the fact that many childhood obesity prevention programs involve simultaneous dietary changes, increased physical activity, and improved sleep patterns. However, it can be difficult to adhere to several new rules at once, especially if families face time constraints and financial constraints.
Monica Wang, Associate Professor of Social Health Sciences at Boston University and head of the study
Our preliminary research with families and partners from local communities has shown that asking to change several eating habits at once can quickly become an overwhelming task, especially for families experiencing time constraints and financial difficulties. In addition, it is difficult for a child, as well as an adult, to simply "choose otherwise" when sugary drinks are everywhere.
How did the program go?
The trained program staff organized 12 face-to-face group classes. The six-week course included interactive lessons, tastings and demonstrations of the amount of sugar in drinks. The children also created their own printed materials, music and video projects about why it is important for them to drink water, and completed some of the tasks at home with their parents.
The program took into account the conditions in which the participants live. More than two thirds of the children were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, and more than half of the participants identified themselves as Hispanic or black.
The researchers note that the ability to maintain a healthy weight can be affected by financial constraints, the conditions of the area of residence, the availability of healthy foods and safe places for physical activity, as well as unequal access to preventive medical care.
According to Wang, the researchers decided to focus on one specific change that would not require significant costs or complex restructuring of family life.
What results did the scientists get?
At the beginning of the study, the children drank an average of 12 ounces (about 355 ml) of sugary drinks and 24 ounces (about 710 ml) of water per day. After 12 months, participants in the program reported that they were drinking an average of 3.6 ounces (about 106 ml) fewer sugary drinks and 6.6 ounces (about 195 ml) more water daily.
The researchers also assessed changes in body mass index based on the age and sex of the child. Almost 30% of the children who participated in the program moved to a lower body mass index category within a year. In the comparison group, this figure was 18%.
Among the children who were overweight at the beginning of the study, 44.4% of the program participants and 31.6% of the children from the comparison group switched to the healthy weight category. At the same time, the proportion of children whose overweight turned into obesity was 5.6% in the program group and 21.1% in the comparison group. Among obese children at the beginning of the study, 47.5% of the participants in the program switched to a lower body mass index category compared to 36.7% in the comparison group.
Monica Wang
One of the most striking results of this study is that we were able to change the participants' body mass index values towards healthier values during a period when the nationwide trend of childhood obesity was moving in the opposite direction.
Why is the environment in which children grow up important?
According to the researchers, the results show that the prevention of childhood obesity should not be limited to medical institutions. Youth clubs, where children spend time, communicate and learn from each other, can become a platform for programs aimed at changing daily habits.
However, the authors point out the limitations of the study. In particular, information about the consumption of sugary drinks and water was based on participants' self-reports, and differences in measurements make it difficult to interpret the results. Therefore, it cannot yet be ruled out that other factors influenced the dynamics of the body mass index.
In the future, the scientists plan to test whether this approach can be applied in other public spaces and used to change other eating habits, such as reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
