BREAKING NEWS
Study: Junk food laws may help curb kids' obesity
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 08/13/2012
CHICAGO - A new study says laws curbing the sale of junk food and sweet drinks could play a role in slowing childhood obesity.
The study, released online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, found that although the effects weren't huge, children gained less weight from fifth through eighth grades if they lived in states with strong, consistent laws versus no laws governing snacks available in schools.
Also, children overweight or obese in fifth grade were more likely to reach a healthy weight by eighth grade if they lived in states with the strongest laws.
The study analyzed data on 6,300 students in 40 states.
Daniel Taber from the University of Illinois at Chicago is the lead author of the study. He says the results show that "for these laws to be effective, they need to be consistently strong in all grades."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
PRINT
Special Reports
-
SPECIAL REPORT | Day care inspections
SPECIAL REPORT | Thousands of child care center inspections reports are NOW AVAILABLE. Find out what inspectors founds inside day care centers across the state.
-
Inside a Criminal Mind | Jason Scott
SPECIAL REPORT | When it's out of your hands, when your life is at the mercy of an armed, masked man staring down at you from the barrel of a gun in your own home, you grasp at whatever it is you can control; breathing, composure, or faith.
-
SPECIAL REPORT | Bad Medicine
SPECIAL REPORT | ABC2 Investigator Joce Sterman has reviewed thousands of pages of documents for her Bad Medicine report.
Health
-
Sleepy teen drivers causing more crashes
It appears more and more young people may be sleepy at the wheel. A new study ties a lack of sleep to a significantly higher risk for crashes among young drivers.
-
Higher SPF not necessarily better
Sunbathers this summer will find new sunscreen labels that are designed to make the products more effective and easier to use.
-
FDA warns teens against tanning beds
If you're hoping to get a jump start on your tan this summer, the Food and Drug Administration has a warning for you.
- Stay Connected
