Category Archives: hormones

Good eating habits as a way of preventing obesity and eating disorders

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Back-to-school time involves changes in just about everything: schedules, homework, sports, family time—even eating. Being rushed in the mornings makes having a decent, healthy breakfast a challenge. Families have to decide if kids will take lunch or buy the school lunch. Then comes the evening meal with people going in different directions, and often little time to prepare or eat a meal together. It’s no wonder that healthy eating and family time often take a back seat to homework, sports, and other activities.

As we all know by now, obesity among children and teens in our country is a widespread problem, and eating disorders (EDs) are also more common than before.

An article published last week on the website of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discusses how the same attitudes and habits can lead to both obesity and EDs. According to one study, dieting can actually be a precursor to obesity and EDs. Dieting “was associated with a twofold increased risk of becoming overweight and a 1.5-fold increased risk of binge eating…  Another study found that normal weight girls who dieted in ninth grade were three times more likely to be overweight in 12th grade compared with non-dieters.”

In addition to dieting as a cause, “weight talk”—no matter how well-intentioned—and “weight teasing” can lead to EDs and obesity.  “Weight talk, or comments made by family members about their own weight or to the child to encourage weight loss, has been linked to both overweight and EDs. Teasing children about their weight also has been associated with the development of overweight, binge eating and extreme weight-control behaviors in girls and overweight status in boys. Body dissatisfaction is a known risk factor for both obesity and EDs.”

So, how does a parent help a child be satisfied with her or his body? How do you encourage your teen toward a healthy relationship with food? “Adolescents who are more satisfied with their bodies report parental and peer attitudes that encourage healthful eating and exercise to be fit, rather than dieting.”

The article contains recommendations for pediatricians, and that guidance also applies to parents:

  • “Discourage dieting, skipping of meals or use of diet pills to lose weight. The focus should be on a healthy lifestyle rather than on weight.
  • Encourage more frequent family meals, which provide an opportunity to model healthy food choices and provide time for teenagers and parents to interact.
  • Promote a positive body image among adolescents. Body dissatisfaction should not be used as a reason to lose weight.
  • Encourage families not to talk about weight but rather to talk about healthy eating and being active to stay healthy.
  • Carefully monitor weight loss in an adolescent who is obese or overweight to ensure the teen does not develop the medical complications of semi-starvation.”

Don’t forget family meals. Though your children and teens may roll their eyes, the time spent together around the table is a time to connect over healthy food and discussions about topics great and small. Turn off the television and cell phones (including yours!) and enjoy each other’s company. It will make all of you healthier.

© 2016, MBS Writing Services

Diabetes testing and prediabetes

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Our last two blogs have been about diabetes, types 1 and 2.  Now, let’s look at risk factors, testing, and what is called prediabetes.

Risk factors are slightly different for the two types of diabetes (see our previous two blogs to learn more about those types).  We’ve gleaned these sets of factors from an article by the Mayo Clinic.  Check out that article for more detailed explanation.

Type 1 risk factors

  • Family history
  • Environmental factors (such as exposure to certain illnesses)
  • The presence of damaging immune system cells (autoantibodies)
  • Dietary factors—though studies don’t show a direct cause and effect, there seems to be some relation to things like early consumption of cow’s milk and cereals, for example
  • Geography—people who live in some northern European countries have greater risks

Type 2 and prediabetes risk factors

  • Being overweight or obese
  • Inactivity
  • Family history
  • Race—it’s unclear why certain races (including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian-Americans) are at higher risk
  • Age—although type 2 diabetes is increasing at alarming rates among children and youth, risk increases with age
  • High blood pressure
  • Abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Other risk factors in the article pertain to adults.

Prediabetes is a condition that means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet in the “diabetic” range.  It also means that you are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association has an online test you can take to determine possible risk.  If you believe your child is at risk, talk to your pediatrician.

Please note that the top two risk factors for type 2 diabetes are things over which you likely have a great deal of control.  A healthy diet and age-appropriate activity are your best tools for prevention, for your child and for you.

© MBS Writing Services, 2015, all rights reserved

Diabetes overview, type 1

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Diabetes is a disease that can hit at any time of life from childhood to old age.  It can be a scary diagnosis, and it’s certainly not one a parent wants to hear.  Even so, new medical advances are constantly being made that can limit the bad effects of diabetes, and early diagnosis and treatment are always important.

Diabetes is not uncommon among children and teens.  According to the National Institutes of Health (and the National Diabetes Education Program—NDEP) article from which we have drawn much of the information for today’s blog, “About 208,000 young people in the US under age 20 had diabetes in 2012.”  Those numbers are growing.

The disease is classified into two categories, called type 1 and type 2.  Both types mean there is an elevated glucose (sugar) level in the blood, which is caused by problems with insulin production in the pancreas, and/or how that insulin acts on the body.

Type 1 diabetes, though only 5% of all diabetes cases, accounts for nearly all diagnoses in children under age 10.  It’s actually an autoimmune disease, in which the child’s own immune system destroys the beta cells of the pancreas that produce insulin.  (Insulin is the hormone that regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, including sugars, and fats.)

Usually, symptoms of type 1 diabetes don’t appear until the disease has destroyed most of the beta cells.  According to the same article cited above, “Early symptoms, which are mainly due to hyperglycemia, include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, and blurred vision. Children also may feel very tired.”  If you are suspicious that your child has type 1 diabetes, seek medical attention immediately.

So far, there is no cure, but type 1 diabetes is managed through careful monitoring of blood sugar levels, and insulin administration by pump or injection.  The amount and timing of insulin doses is determined by taking into account food and beverage intake, physical activity, and the presence of any illness.  This management must be under the care of a physician who understands diabetes.

There are many ongoing studies into type 1 diabetes.  Perhaps in the not-too-distant future there will be a cure, or at least a way of pre-determining who is at risk and finding ways to treat the disease before it has destroyed the body’s ability to produce its own insulin.  The future is promising.

© MBS Writing Services, 2015, all rights reserved

Breast development in boys?

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As odd as it may sound, about three quarters of boys will develop some breast tissue early in their puberty.  This is a normal physical reaction to the increase of hormones, including estrogen, in the male body as it matures.

Gynecomastia, as it’s called, is a source of concern for many boys because they are unprepared for it and think something may be wrong with their bodies.  And, of course, it comes at a time in their lives when they may already feel insecure about their physical and sexual development, when they may already be uncomfortable in the locker room at school

Gynecomastia can start as tenderness or soreness around the nipple and can manifest in one or both breasts.  Most of the time, the tissue will only grow a half inch or so, and often will be just around the nipple.  It can take a couple of years to go away, but normally it will go away.

You should also know that certain medications, both prescription meds and illegal drugs, can cause gynecomastia.  In particular, anabolic steroids, marijuana or heroin can lead to gynecomastia, as can insulin and other prescription drugs.

The information for this blog was gleaned from an article on the website for the American Academy of Pediatrics, an article which contains much more information about male puberty and what changes a boy may expect in his body.

If your son has gynecomastia, make sure he knows the condition is common and will resolve itself with time. Show him this article.  Encourage him to talk to his physician who can assure him that nothing is wrong with his body or his development.

 

© MBS Writing Services, 2015, all rights reserved