Being obese does not affect children’s school performance, according to a new British study.

Researchers at the University of York analyzed data from nearly 4,000 participants in the Children of the ’90s Birth Cohort Study.

“We sought to test whether obesity directly hinders performance due to bullying or health problems, or whether kids who are obese do less well because of other factors that are associated with both obesity and lower exam results, such as coming from a disadvantaged family,” study author Stephanie von Hinke Kessler Scholder said in news release from the United Kingdom’s Economic and Social Research Council, which funded the study.

“Based on a simple correlation between children’s obesity, as measured by their fat mass, and their exam results, we found that heavier children did do slightly worse in school,” Scholder said.

“But when we used children’s genetic markers to account for other factors, we found no evidence that obesity causally affects exam results,” she said. “So we conclude that obesity is not a major factor affecting children’s educational outcomes.”

Previous studies have found a link between obesity and poorer grades. These new findings suggest that this may be due to issues that affect both weight and academic performance, including socioeconomic factors such as whether a child’s family is poor, Scholder said.

“Clearly there are reasons why there are differences in educational outcomes, but our research shows that obesity is not one of them,” she concluded.

Obesity Alone May Not Hurt Kids’ Classroom Performance – US News and World Report

Looking to slim down? Then beige is your color, at least as far as fat is concerned.

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have isolated a new type of energy-burning cell known as “beige fat,” which they say may have therapeutic potential for aiding weight loss and treating obesity in adults.According to a new report published in the journal Cell, beige fat is scattered in pea-size deposits beneath the skin near the collarbone and along the spine. But rather than storing excess calories in the form of jiggly thighs and a jelly belly as blubbery-and-prolific white fat does, this type of fat is a calorie burner.

Sweating and Freezing

“During exercise, muscles release the hormone irisin, which then converts ordinary white fat cells into beige ones – and those beige cells burn up extra calories,” explains Bruce Spiegelman, the senior author of the paper.

Its long been known that the calories burned during exercise exceed the number used during the actual activity. Beige fat could be responsible for torching these extra calories. However, because the muscles also release irisin when the body is cold, Spiegelman speculates that the beige fat mechanism might have evolved as a response to shivering, which, like exercise, is a neuromuscular activity.

Spiegelman doesnt necessarily believe the conversion of cells to beige is permanent. “Its an adaptive process,” he says. “They probably increase or decrease depending on physiological conditions such as age, sex and obesity.”

This could be why more brown fat and perhaps more beige fat is present in people who are fit and physically active versus those who are slothful couch potatoes. An attractive hypothesis to be sure, but Spiegelman cautions theres not yet enough evidence to prove it.

Beige Fat Could Help Fight Obesity – ABC News

Data released recently by the Keep It Real campaign – a joint effort between Miss Representation, the SPARK Movement, Love Social, Endangered Bodies and I Am That Girl – states that 80 percent of all 10-year-old girls have, at some point in their lives, gone on at least one diet.

The campaign was created as an effort intended to get everyone from major magazines and media outlets to mothers and fathers around the world to think more about how their words and actions regarding perceived beauty affect a child’s view of themselves and others.

More specifically, the campaign is asking a slew of well-known beauty magazines to publish at least one unaltered photo per month in the effort to reshape what they feel is an unrealistic representation of women.

The startling statistic came from a study, “Eating Disorders Today – Not Just A Girl Thing” by Kimberly Hepworth, which cited an earlier article published on the topic by Lori Henry at Suite101.com.

And it’s just one of many pieces of information the campaign is releasing in order to raise awareness.

“[A total of] 53 percent of 13-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies,” another blurb reads. “That number increases to 78 percent by age 17.”

Research conducted by the National Eating Disorders Association lines up with what the Keep It Real campaign is saying. According to them, between 40 and 60 percent of children ages 6 to 12 are concerned about their weight or becoming too fat, and 70 percent would prefer to be thinner.

“It’s bad out there, it’s brutal, it’s hard … [and] we’re seeing it younger and younger,” Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of NEDA, told CBS Seattle. “I’ve seen a girl as young as 8 years old on a feeding tube. It’s a serious problem.”

Study Finds 80 Percent Of 10-Year-Old Girls Have Been On Diet « CBS Seattle

Some people who suffer from chronic weight issues may soon get some help from a pill.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Wednesday approved Belviq, or lorcaserin hydrochloride, to be combined with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, for treatment of chronic weight problems.

Specifically, the FDA says, it is approved for overweight or obese adults who have one or more medical conditions due to their weight, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol.

The FDA says the drug works by activating a receptor in the brain that helps a person to eat less and still feel full.

Fat Thanks to Sunita K. for the tip!

FDA approves drug to treat some obese, overweight adults – – CNN.com Blogs

In a move that could significantly expand insurance coverage of weight-loss treatments, a federal health advisory panel on Monday recommended that all obese adults receive intensive counseling in an effort to rein in a growing health crisis in America.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force urged doctors to identify patients with a body mass index of 30 or more — currently 1 in 3 Americans — and either provide counseling themselves or refer the patient to a program designed to promote weight loss and improve health prospects.

Under the current healthcare law, Medicare and most private insurers would be required to cover the entire cost of weight-loss services that meet or exceed the task forces standards.

Obese adults should get counseling, federal panel says – latimes.com