What’s New in the Research on Childhood Obesity?

2030: Adult Obesity Rates if the Current Trajectory Continues

Trajectory of Adult Obesity Rates in the U.S project Virginia to be 50%-55% Obese by 2030. Research shows obese children are very likely to become obese adults.

 Arthur Weltman presented “Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Effects of Lifestyle Intervention” at the September’s Works In Progress Meeting.

Related posts are available under Research, Works In Progress Meetings, Health

Presentation Audio and Slides

Key Points from Weltman’s Talk:

  • Obese youth who do not show signs for Metabolic Syndrome are still at risk for several health conditions. A Type 2 diabetic diagnosis is just “the tip of the iceberg” with many health problems lying below the surface. There is a constellation of risk factors are already there. Continue reading

Study Addresses Lack of Research on Adolescent Drivers with Autism

By Daniel J. Cox, Youth-Nex associate director, University of Virginia professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, Internal Medicine, and Ophthalmology; and Ann Lambert, post-doctoral fellow, Virginia Driving Safety Laboratory, University of Virginia Medical Center.

The researchers’ study seeks to gain a better understanding of driving and
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by surveying parents/caregivers
of adolescents/
young adults with ASD who were
currently attempting, or had previously attempted,
to learn
to drive.
Daniel Cox Driving simulator

Related posts can be found under Research and Driving.

Optimizing Independence of Adolescents with High Functioning Autism

Driving has major implications for independence, employment and socialization. It also represents potential risk to personal health and the health of others. Safe operation of a motor vehicle is a responsibility that involves controlling a two-ton vehicle traveling through time and space, at high speeds, multi-tasking negotiating traffic, signal, road and weather conditions. Continue reading

Eye Tracking, Food Labs and More – New Funding Announced

Mock up of school whose architecture is designed to encourage healthy habits

Related posts can be found under Research and Seed Funded Research.

By Ellen Daniels, Youth-Nex Communications Director

Youth-Nex has awarded funding to four teams of researchers who will study a range of
issues from how innovative school architecture can affect healthy eating to increasing
bullying awareness through student video production.

This is the third time the center has seeded University faculty research promoting positive youth development in the past three years. Patrick Tolan, center director, said projects were also chosen because of their collaborative nature and potential for growth.

“We are already seeing external funding applications growing out of the first rounds. We think there is great potential for similar success from this excellent set of seed grants which also represent multidisciplinary efforts across U.Va.,” said Tolan.

The 2012 funded projects are: Continue reading