Obesity Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Families needed for childhood obesity study in Yorkshire, UK.

Obesity Discussion · 06-20-06, 01:03 PM

PLEA OVER CHILDHOOD OBESITY STUDY
Back Print Download By Ben Pindar, Community Newswire

SCIENCE Obesity Yorkshire, 20 Jun 2006 - 08:31
A leading Yorkshire children's hospital has today made a fresh plea for families across the county to get involved in a new charity-funded study into childhood obesity.

Researchers at Sheffield Children's Hospital are calling on volunteers to come forward for the new project which aims to discover the effect of obesity on children's bones.

A huge number of families have already responded to the appeal but doctors want even more people to get involved.

Dr Paul Dimitri, who is leading the research, said: "We were delighted by the number of calls we received as a result of our first appeal.

"We have now signed up a number of extra families for the study but are still looking for around 20 more families to take part."

Funded by the Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity and the British Society for Paediatric, Endocrinology and Diabetes Research, the study will assess young people aged between four and 16-years-old to see if obese children are damaging their bones by carrying too much weight.

Medics will conduct blood tests and look at children's lifestyles and diets, in particular the intake of foods which contain calcium. They will also look at bone mineral density through a low radiation bone scanner.

Dr Dimitri said: "We have been looking into adult body weight and the impact it has on the skeletal system for many years now, with research suggesting that the greater the individual's weight, the bigger the bones develop to help support the weight.

"However, it is still unknown whether obesity has a damaging effect on young people's bones. Through the study at the Children's Hospital, we are trying to find out if obese children have lighter bones, which don't grow big enough to support their bodyweight, making them more prone to fractures."

Doctors will look at the impact of leptin - the hormone produced by fat - to discover whether this interferes with the body's process of rebuilding bones in children.

Dr Dimitri added: "Childhood obesity has become a major issue in this country over the last five years and a quarter of young people are now overweight or obese, resulting in numerous health and social consequences.

"This research project aims to play a crucial role in helping to reverse the obesity trend and highlight the importance of prevention and treatment as part of a comprehensive approach to tackling the obesity epidemic."

Families who take part in the study will be offered time with Doctor Dimitri to discuss diet and nutrition, receive free health and nutritional advice and help sheets on diet and exercise and the opportunity to look into any secondary problems they are experiencing such as bullying.

For more information or to sign up for the obesity research project contact Dr Paul Dimitri on 0114 2717561 or 0114 271 7228.

06-20-06, 01:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
Obesity Discussion Administrator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,625 Weight Statistics 8/1/2006 Start Date: 185 lb Start Weight: 152 lb Current Weight: 155 lb Goal Weight: -33 lb Weight Loss: 5/1/2007 Goal Date:	Families needed for childhood obesity study in Yorkshire, UK. PLEA OVER CHILDHOOD OBESITY STUDY Back Print Download By Ben Pindar, Community Newswire SCIENCE Obesity Yorkshire, 20 Jun 2006 - 08:31 A leading Yorkshire children's hospital has today made a fresh plea for families across the county to get involved in a new charity-funded study into childhood obesity. Researchers at Sheffield Children's Hospital are calling on volunteers to come forward for the new project which aims to discover the effect of obesity on children's bones. A huge number of families have already responded to the appeal but doctors want even more people to get involved. Dr Paul Dimitri, who is leading the research, said: "We were delighted by the number of calls we received as a result of our first appeal. "We have now signed up a number of extra families for the study but are still looking for around 20 more families to take part." Funded by the Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity and the British Society for Paediatric, Endocrinology and Diabetes Research, the study will assess young people aged between four and 16-years-old to see if obese children are damaging their bones by carrying too much weight. Medics will conduct blood tests and look at children's lifestyles and diets, in particular the intake of foods which contain calcium. They will also look at bone mineral density through a low radiation bone scanner. Dr Dimitri said: "We have been looking into adult body weight and the impact it has on the skeletal system for many years now, with research suggesting that the greater the individual's weight, the bigger the bones develop to help support the weight. "However, it is still unknown whether obesity has a damaging effect on young people's bones. Through the study at the Children's Hospital, we are trying to find out if obese children have lighter bones, which don't grow big enough to support their bodyweight, making them more prone to fractures." Doctors will look at the impact of leptin - the hormone produced by fat - to discover whether this interferes with the body's process of rebuilding bones in children. Dr Dimitri added: "Childhood obesity has become a major issue in this country over the last five years and a quarter of young people are now overweight or obese, resulting in numerous health and social consequences. "This research project aims to play a crucial role in helping to reverse the obesity trend and highlight the importance of prevention and treatment as part of a comprehensive approach to tackling the obesity epidemic." Families who take part in the study will be offered time with Doctor Dimitri to discuss diet and nutrition, receive free health and nutritional advice and help sheets on diet and exercise and the opportunity to look into any secondary problems they are experiencing such as bullying. For more information or to sign up for the obesity research project contact Dr Paul Dimitri on 0114 2717561 or 0114 271 7228. __________________