The powers-that-be, who bow to the gods of productivity and non-stop
economic growth, should be concerned about the findings in this study. While
they spend millions of dollars on programs telling people to exercise and
eat their fruit and veggies, they ignore the fact that families in poverty
-ho already know what's good for them and what's not - cannot heed the
advice. The result is that the greatest incidence of obesity in children
occurs in families in poverty. 

The powers-that-be are going to have to take their blinkers off. Our
children are our future. As more of them live in poverty, at home and
globally, the future of humankind looks increasingly bleak.
 

HEADLINE: Morbid obesity in toddlers linked to lower IQ
Last Updated Fri, 01 Sep 2006 15:51:25 EDT
CBC News

Excess weight may take a toll on young, developing brains, say researchers
who found a link between morbid obesity in toddlers and lower IQ scores
later in life... 

"We're postulating that early-onset morbid obesity and these metabolic,
biochemical problems can also lead to cognitive impairment," said Dr. Daniel
Driscoll, a professor of pediatric genetics at the University of Florida.

Driscoll and his colleagues studied 18 children and adults with early-onset
morbid obesity — those who weighed at least 150 per cent of their ideal body
weight before age four — to two other groups.

The study, in the August issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, found the
second group of 19 children and adults had Prader-Willi syndrome — a genetic
disorder that causes people to eat non-stop and become morbidly obese at a
young age if not supervised.

A group of 24 normal-weight siblings who shared the same genetic and
socio-economic background as the research subjects acted as controls.

Children and teens who were obese as toddlers for no known genetic reason
fared almost as poorly on IQ tests (average score of 78) as people with
Prader-Willi (average score of 63)...

"Their control siblings were 106," Driscoll said...

Full article: http://tinyurl.com/gxedg

----------------------------
Chrystal Ocean, Coordinator
Wellbeing through Inclusion Socially & Economically
http://www.wise-bc.org/

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