After-school-based intervention helps steer children toward healthier BMI scores
A study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that focusing on a single dietary change, specifically reducing sugar-sweetened beverages, is more effective for managing childhood obesity than broad lifestyle interventions. The trial, conducted at Boys & Girls Clubs in Massachusetts, showed significant improvements in BMI z-scores among participants.
Why it matters
Childhood obesity is a persistent health crisis; identifying sustainable, targeted interventions can help reduce long-term risks like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add to Preferred Sources Credit: RDNE Stock project from Pexels While the adult obesity rate appears to be slowing in the United States, childhood obesity remains historically high, affecting nearly 1 in 5 school-age children. Many efforts to address this persistent health crisis have urged children to make multiple lifestyle changes at once—such as increasing physical activity, improving diet and getting more sleep—but these interventions are often difficult to implement and unrealistic for children and families to sustain.
Interventions that encourage children to make just one dietary change can be a more feasible way to reduce childhood obesity, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in