Why children are getting and what UB is - University at Buffalo

James N. Roemmich (left) and Leonard
H. Epstein are part of a UB team examining
ties between high park access
and children’s physical activity.
should be eaten rarely, yellow denotes
moderate-calorie foods that can be eaten
occasionally and green is for low-calorie
foods that can be consumed freely.
It’s that practical approach that is
central to the work being done by UB
researchers as they dig deeply into the
habits of young people with weight issues.
Role of the family
A recent UB study showed that by using
a device that restricts video viewing time
on TVs and computers, parents could cut
the time spent on video games an average
of 17.5 hours a week. Also, the children’s
body mass index (BMI) was significantly
lower by the end of the two-year study.
(BMI is a calculation of one’s weight to
height.)
“Results show that watching television
and playing computer games can lead to
obesity by reducing the time that children
are physically active, or by increasing the
amount of food they consume as they
engaged in these sedentary behaviors,”
Epstein reports.
“Our treatments take a family
approach, and show strong relationships
between child and parent behavior and
weight change. When we compare child
and parent weight change, our data suggest
that it is easier for children to lose
[weight] and maintain weight loss than
their parents, as they have not had the
unhealthy behaviors as long as their parents,”
Epstein explains.
“Parents are extremely powerful role
models for the eating and exercise habits
of their children—not only ‘what’ and ‘how
much’ they eat, but also their relationship
to physical appearance, food, physical
activity and overall health,” says Salvy.
“Parents can set the occasions for physically
active activities with peers/friends
and family members.”
Still, there are roadblocks when trying
to motivate youth with weight issues to be
more physically active.
“The increase in obesity is likely due, in
part, to changes to our home and neighborhood
environments that have influenced
access to and choices to be active
or sedentary,” says James N. Roemmich,
associate professor of pediatrics and
exercise and nutrition sciences. “I have
become especially interested in how the
environment—such as the physical layout
of neighborhoods—affects children’s
weight-control choices.”
Eric frick
In general terms, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, “overweight” and “obesity”
“are both labels for ranges of weight that
are greater than what is generally considered
healthy for a given height. The terms
also identify ranges of weight that have
been shown to increase the likelihood of
certain diseases and other health problems.”
According to Laychock, “no one really
understands what’s driving obesity [in
both children and adults]—it is a multifactorial
problem.” Are the causes overeating,
genetics, learned behavior, the endocrine
system, too much stress or a combination
of some or all of these factors? UB
researchers are working to unravel this
complicated question.
And with a body of work that spans 20
years and a team that includes both medical
doctors and scientists with PhDs, “UB
researchers have had an impact on the
issue,” Laychock says.
Sarah-Jeanne Salvy, assistant professor
of pediatrics, Division of Behavioral
Medicine, agrees. “It will take a while
to tackle all the factors involved in this
epidemic—there is some work to do at
the level of the individual and their close
system [family, peers, friends], and also in
terms of public health policies. However, I
have no doubt that some of these solutions
will originate from the research of my colleagues,”
Salvy says.
“Our work continues to develop on
multiple levels,” explains Leonard H.
Epstein, chief, Division of Behavioral
Medicine, Department of Pediatrics in the
UB School of Medicine and Biomedical
Sciences.
“We are very interested in genetics of
food reinforcement and obesity; the role
of different behavioral, dietary and activity
approaches to treatment; and how habits
develop. Our work attempts to translate
the newest basic science into effective
clinical interventions,” adds Epstein, who
has been involved in childhood obesity
research for 30 years, 15 years at UB.
In the 1970s, Epstein developed the
Traffic Light Diet, which is used in his
current research and also by health-care
professionals around the country. The diet
links food to the three colors of a traffic
light: red indicates high-calorie foods that
14 Winter 2009 UBTODAY www.alumni.buffalo.edu