» Newsmaker: Battling childhood obesity
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Newsmaker: Battling childhood obesity battling obesity

By Jim Fessenden
UMass Medical School Communications 		July 26, 2011 
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Lori Pbert, PhD and Leslie A. Soyka, MD 
In the fight to curb obesity, UMass Medical School experts agree that the sooner children learn about weight control, the better chance they have, especially in combating fast food and soda advertising. Leslie A. Soyka, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics, and Lori Pbert, PhD, professor of medicine, talked to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette about the dangers and consequences of childhood obesity.

Complications from obesity, according to Dr. Soyka, include such health issues as sleep apnea, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Pbert told the Telegram and Gazette that adolescence is a time when teens discover a newfound sense of independence, perhaps with a part-time job or learning to drive, and this “presents a real window of opportunity to intervene to help teens learn to lead healthy lifestyles.”

Read the full story: http://www.telegram.com/article/20110724/NEWS/107249827