New Studies Show Simple, Practical Tips to Fight Childhood Obesity

A new wave of studies shows that several simple, practical measures can help combat child obesity, according to a new article from USA Today. The studies should that portion controller, less television, and better sleep can be used to help children defeat obesity.

Portion control, where children are offered smaller plates so that less food can be gathered at once, helps children eat less overall, according to study co-author Jennifer Orlet Fisher.

"We know large portions have a pretty consistent effect in making kids eat more than they would if the portion sizes were smaller...It really seems that offering kids smaller plates could actually be potentially helpful in keeping portion size in check and maybe appetite in check,"

Study participants were shown to eat more food at lunch if given adult-sized plates, rather than child's sized plates. Children served themselves over 100 calories more when given the option to used bigger plates. In another study, it was shown that children who focus primarily on television, rather than video games or computer use, had an increased Body Mass Index, or BMI.

Study co-author, Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children's Hospital, explains the findings:

"It's those kids who told us, 'My primary attention was paid to television,' even if they say it was done while doing homework or texting...They were the ones that had the most robust relationship with increased BMI...TV, unlike the other screen media, is supported by advertising, and much of it is for high-calorie, nutritionally questionable snack foods. Advertising works best when you pay attention to it."

Finally, the last study, lead by study author Jonathan Mitchell, showed that teens who got less than 10 hours of sleep a night had a higher risk of being obese. By getting more sleep, students reduced their chance of being obese over time by as much as six percent by the time students are 18.

"It's a prediction, not conclusive data, but the findings point to the potential public health benefits that increasing sleep duration could have for overweight and obese adolescents in the U.S," Mitchell states.