Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

Survey: The Average Child Leaves 21 Percent of Their School Lunch Uneaten

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

In a revealing new survey, American parents are shedding light on the complexities of packing school lunches and the creative lengths they go to ensure their children eat nutritiously. The poll of 2,000 parents with school-aged kids unveils some startling statistics about the modern school lunch experience and parental strategies for promoting healthy eating habits.

One of the most striking findings is that nearly a third of parents (29%) admit to eating their children’s uneaten lunch leftovers for dinner. This resourceful approach comes as parents estimate that, on average, 21 percent of their child’s lunch returns home uneaten each day.

While 43 percent of parents believe today’s school lunches are healthier than those of their own childhood, and 28 percent note increased variety, the classic sandwich (61%), chips (56%), and juice (52%) combination remains the most popular lunch option.

Parental guilt plays a significant role in lunch-packing decisions, with 60 percent of respondents feeling remorseful when opting for easy, less healthy options due to time constraints (20%) or their child’s pickiness (21%). This guilt has led to some extreme measures, with 79 percent of parents reporting they’ve gone to dramatic lengths to keep unhealthy foods away from their children. These tactics include avoiding certain foods at the store (30%), hiding them (18%), and even telling white lies (13%).

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/average-child-leaves-21-of-their-school-lunch-uneaten/

Children Who Miss Breakfast Regularly Are Less Happy

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Medical Daily.

Fitting a full breakfast into a child's rushed morning routine can be challenging, but it's more important than you might think. Skipping breakfast does not just impact long-term health; it also takes a toll on happiness. A study has revealed that children who regularly miss the morning meal are less likely to be happy in life.

In the large-scale study involving 150,000 children and adolescents across 42 countries in the world, researchers from the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), England, and Universidad de las Americas, Mexico, investigated the link between the regularity of breakfast consumption and life satisfaction. The results published in BMC Nutrition Journal suggest "a nearly linear relationship" between a higher frequency of eating breakfast and greater life satisfaction.

"The highest life satisfaction score was identified in participants who had breakfast daily, whereas the lowest life satisfaction score was observed in children who never had breakfast," the news release stated.

The study involved participants from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children study (2017/2018) that used nationally representative samples of children and adolescents between 10 and 17, attending school. The participants were asked how often they had a full breakfast - more than just a glass of milk or fruit juice. Their life satisfaction was then measured on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 representing the highest quality of life and 0 the lowest.

"Our study was wide-ranging and found a consistent association between the frequency of breakfast and life satisfaction, and there are several potential reasons for this. There have been previous studies that show low mood among adolescents who have not eaten breakfast and also higher instances of anxiety, stress, and depression. Moreover, consuming an adequate breakfast provides the necessary energy and nutrients for optimal cognitive functioning and enhances concentration, memory, and learning ability," senior author Lee Smith, Professor of Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University, said in the news release.

Source: Medical Daily
https://www.medicaldaily.com/dont-skip-breakfast-study-reveals-children-who-miss-it-regularly-are-less-happy-472035

Ultra-Processed Food Makes Up Almost Two-Thirds of Calorie Intake of UK Adolescents

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Adolescents consume around two-thirds of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs) new research has found.

The study found that UPF consumption was highest among adolescents from deprived backgrounds, those of white ethnicity, and younger adolescents.

UPFs are food items that are manufactured from industrial substances and contain additives such as preservatives, sweeteners, colourings, flavourings, and emulsifiers. UPFs vary greatly, but tend to indicate poor dietary quality, with higher levels of added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, as well as decreased fibre, protein, and micronutrient content. They have been suggested as one of the key drivers of the global rise in diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Globally, the availability and sales of UPFs have increased over time and previous evidence suggests that this has led to increased consumption among adolescents. To look at trends within the UK, researchers from Cambridge and Bristol analysed data from four-day food diaries of almost 3,000 adolescents in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey between 2008/09 and 2018/19.

In research published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the researchers found that a mean of 66% of adolescents' energy intake came from UPF consumption during this period, though there was a slight fall from 68% to 63% between 2008/09 and 2018/2019.

Dr Yanaina Chavez-Ugalde from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, the study's first author, said: "Adolescents' food patterns and practices are influenced by many factors, including their home environment, the marketing they are exposed to and the influence of their friends and peers. But adolescence is also an important time in our lives where behaviours begin to become ingrained.

"It's clear from our findings that ultra-processed foods make up the majority of adolescents' diets, and their consumption is at a much higher level than is ideal, given their potential negative health impacts."

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240717121107.htm

One in Four Parents Say Their Teen Consumes Caffeine Daily or Nearly Every Day

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by EurekAlert!

A quarter of parents report that caffeine is basically part of their teen’s daily life, according to a national poll.

Two in three parents think they know whether their teen’s caffeine intake is appropriate and which products have too much caffeine. Yet a third aren’t able to identify recommended caffeine limits, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

“Our report suggests parents may not always be aware of how much they should be limiting caffeine consumption for teens,” said poll co-director and Mott pediatrician Susan Woolford, M.D.

“Even for parents who know the recommendations, estimating their teen’s caffeine intake can be challenging.”

Soda is teens’ top caffeinated product of choice, according to the nationally representative report that’s based on responses from 1,095 parents of teens polled in February.

Tea and coffee came in as the second most popular caffeine source while less than a fourth of parents said their teen consumed energy drinks.

Two in five parents whose teens consume caffeine most or all days of the week say their teen has it because it’s in their favorite product while less than a fourth say it’s because their peers drink it.

Fewer parents believe their teen drinks caffeine to stay awake during the school day, manage an early school start time or help with studying or focus.

“As parents appear to suggest that teens consume caffeine more for the taste than for the stimulant effect, it may be possible for parents to encourage the use of similar tasting options that are caffeine-free,” Woolford said. “But parents may not even be aware that kids are drinking several caffeinated drinks a day and how it’s adding up.”

Source: EurekAlert!
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1044686

Junk Food Diet Can Cause Long-Term Damage to the Adolescent Brain

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by USC Today.

A new USC-led study on rats that feasted on a high-fat, sugary diet raises the possibility that a junk food-filled diet in teens may disrupt their brains’ memory ability for a long time.

“What we see not just in this paper, but in some of our other recent work, is that if these rats grew up on this junk food diet, then they have these memory impairments that don’t go away,” said Scott Kanoski, a professor of biological sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. “If you just simply put them on a healthy diet, these effects unfortunately last well into adulthood.”

The study appears in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

In developing the study, Kanoski and lead author and postdoctoral research fellow Anna Hayes considered that prior research has shown a link between poor diet and Alzheimer’s disease. People who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease tend to have lower levels of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine in the brain that is essential for memory and functions such as learning, attention, arousal and involuntary muscle movement.

The team wondered what this could mean for younger people who may be on a similar fat-filled, sugary Western diet, particularly during adolescence when their brain is undergoing significant development. By tracking the impact of the diet on the rats’ levels of acetylcholine and running the rats through some memory testing, they could learn more about the important relationship between diet and memory.

The researchers tracked the acetylcholine levels of a group of rats on a fatty, sugary diet and in a control group of rats by analyzing their brain responses to certain tasks designed to test their memory. The team examined the rats’ brains post-mortem for signs of disrupted acetylcholine levels.

The memory test involved letting the rats explore new objects in different locations. Days later, the researchers reintroduced the rats to the scene that was nearly identical except for the addition of one new object. Rats on the junk food diet showed signs they could not remember which object they had previously seen, and where, while those in the control group showed familiarity.

Source: USC Today
https://today.usc.edu/take-it-from-the-rats-a-junk-food-diet-can-cause-long-term-damage-to-adolescent-brains/

How Emotions Influence What Adolescents Eat

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

A new study by the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology—BIPS has investigated how emotional states influence the eating habits of children and adolescents and which interventions help to change unhealthy eating habits. The research focuses on the role of stress and impulsivity in food choices, particularly in relation to sweet and fatty foods. It has now been published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

"Our study shows that emotional states, especially negative stress, have a significant influence on dietary choices in adolescents," explains Stefanie Do, scientist at BIPS and first author of the publication. "This finding can help to develop effective interventions aimed at changing unhealthy dietary patterns."

To investigate the relationship between emotions, impulsivity and a preference for sweet and fatty foods, Do's team analyzed data from the European IDEFICS/I.Family cohort.

The survey began in 2007 with 16,230 children aged two to nine years and was continued in further waves until 2021. In the current study, Do's team hypothetically placed all adolescents on a high well-being or low impulsivity score and compared them with the low and high scores to estimate the effects on the propensity to eat sweet and fatty foods.

"The consumption of unhealthy foods, such as sweet or fatty foods, in response to negative emotions is an often unregulated strategy of our body to deal with negative emotions, such as fear, anger, frustration, stress or sadness," explains PD Dr. Antje Hebestreit, head of the Lifestyle-Related Disorders Unit at BIPS.

"Comparing the effects of well-being and impulsivity on the tendency to eat unhealthy foods, our analyses suggest that impulsivity may have a stronger effect. This underlines the importance of measures that reduce emotion-driven impulsivity. Sport, for example, could help in this regard."

Adolescents suffering from chronic stress are prone to impulsive behavior and are therefore highly susceptible to the increasing availability and advertising of unhealthy foods such as sweets or potato chips.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-emotions-adolescents.html

Study Bolsters Evidence that Severe Obesity Increasing in Young US Kids

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

A new study adds to evidence that severe obesity is becoming more common in young U.S. children.

There was some hope that children in a government food program might be bucking a trend in obesity rates—earlier research found rates were dropping a little about a decade ago for those kids. But an update released in the journal Pediatrics shows the rate bounced back up a bit by 2020.

The increase echoes other national data, which suggests around 2.5% of all preschool-aged children were severely obese during the same period.

"We were doing well and now we see this upward trend," said one of the study's authors, Heidi Blanck of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We are dismayed at seeing these findings."

The study looked at children ages 2 to 4 enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children program, which provides healthy foods and other services to preschool-aged children in low-income families. The children were weighed and measured.

The researchers found that 2.1% of kids in the program were severely obese in 2010. Six years later, the rate had dipped to 1.8%. But by 2020, it was 2%. That translates to about 33,000 of more than 1.6 million kids in the WIC program.

What's happened since 2020 is not yet known. Some small studies have suggested a marked increase in childhood obesity—especially during the pandemic, when kids were kept home from schools, eating and bedtime routines were disrupted and physical activity decreased.

"We are thinking it's going to get worse," Hoelscher said.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-bolsters-evidence-severe-obesity-young.html

Teenage Obesity Increases Risk for 17 Different Cancers in Adulthood

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

Researchers have discovered a dangerous link between obesity in male teenagers and over a dozen forms of cancer. A team from the University of Gothenburg reveals young adults who are overweight when they’re 18 years old have a significantly higher risk of developing 17 different types of cancer later in life. The research also sheds light on the potential impact of the ongoing youth obesity epidemic on the cancer landscape over the next three decades.

In two new studies, the research team focused on body mass index (BMI) as a factor while considering the participants’ aerobic fitness levels. The results revealed that having a higher BMI at age 18 is associated with an even greater risk of developing various cancers later in life, surpassing the impact of poor fitness at the same age.

The study identified a correlation between high BMI at conscription and a heightened risk of 17 different types of cancer, including:

• Lung cancer
• Head and neck cancer
• Brain cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Liver cancer
• Colon cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Malignant melanoma
• Leukemia
• Myeloma
• Lymphoma, both Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s.

“Overweight and obesity at a young age seems to increase the risk of developing cancer, and we see links between unhealthy weight and cancer in almost every organ,” says study first author Aron Onerup, postdoc at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, in a university release. “Given the alarming trend of obesity in childhood and adolescence, this study reinforces the need to deploy strong resources to reverse this trend.”

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/obesity-cancer-young-men/

A Healthy Diet, Reading, and Doing Sports Promote Reasoning Skills in Children

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Reasoning skills are crucial skills in learning, academic performance, and everyday problem-solving. According to a recent study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland, improved overall diet quality and reduced consumption of red meat, as well as increased time spent in reading and organized sports, enhanced reasoning skills among children over the first two school years.

"Children with healthier eating habits showed greater cognitive development than other children. Specifically, better overall diet quality, lower red meat consumption, and higher low-fat dairy product intake were linked to better reasoning skills," says Doctoral Researcher Sehrish Naveed of the University of Eastern Finland.

Children who spent more time in reading and organized sports showed better reasoning skills than their peers. On the other hand, excessive time spent on a computer and unsupervised leisure-time physical activity were associated with poorer reasoning skills. Screen time, active school transportation, recess physical activity, and physical activity intensity were not associated with reasoning skills.

Published in the  Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, the results of this study are based on data from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study. This sub-study examined the effects of a two-year diet and physical activity intervention on cognition among 397 Finnish elementary school children. The associations of dietary factors, physical activity, and sedentary behavior with cognition over two years were also studied. The analyses considered parental education and income as well as children's body fat percentage and maturity level.

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230817164006.htm

School Meals Are Healthier Today — But Many Still Don’t Meet U.S. Nutrition Standards

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

Today’s school lunches are actually much healthier than what older generations had to eat decades ago. Even so, recent data reveals that as many as one in four U.S. lunches still have poor nutritional quality. What can be done? Scientists at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University believe aligning student meals to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans could have a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of children as they mature into adults.

The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend that American meals feature far less sugar and salt, and much more whole grains. The team at Tufts says ensuring school lunches all over the country follow these guidelines could benefit the health of countless children.

“On average, school meals are healthier than the food American children consume from any other source, including at home, but we’re at a critical time to further strengthen their nutrition,” says senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School, in a university release. “Our findings suggest a real positive impact on long-term health and healthcare costs with even modest updates to the current school meal nutrition standards.”

f all schools fully complied with these new standards, it could potentially prevent more than 10,600 deaths per year due to fewer diet-related diseases and save over $19 billion annually in healthcare-related costs during later adulthood. The worst-case scenario, on the other hand, in which schools remained with their current food offerings, was estimated to only save a little over half as many lives and healthcare dollars.

The cost, meanwhile, of fully implementing new school meal standards has yet to be determined. However, previous alignments suggest it would add at least another $1 billion nationally to the cost of these programs. That may sound like a lot, but it’s actually only about five percent of the total predicted annual long-term healthcare savings this change would likely yield.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/school-meals-healthier-standards/