Eating / Stomach

Two resent studies identified new genetic variants that influence the risk of obesity and insulin resistance. People who are insulin resistant and obese are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The study in the UK looked at data from nearly 17,000 people of European descent. The research team led by Dr. Ruth J. F. Loos, from Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge confirmed prior research linking variants in the FTO gene with obesity. They also found genetic variants near the MC4R gene were strongly associated with obesity. The MC4R gene influences how much a person eats and how much energy is either expended or conserved thus regulating energy levels. When severe obesity runs in families mutations in this gene are the most common genetic cause. A… [more]

A new study found evidence that eating disorders may be contagious among high school students. Researchers found that poor eating habits like binging, fasting, and using diet pills were clustered in areas within counties, especially among female teenagers. Teenage girls are subjected to strong social pressures to be thin and they are willing to use unhealthy behaviors to get thin. Researchers believe that finding clustered groups of teenagers with eating disorders, instead of county-wide sporadic teenagers with eating disorders confirms their findings. Data was analyzed from 15,349 teenagers. This phenomenon was first suggested in the 1980s when it was identified among female college students within certain sororities. These clustering patterns were similar in rural, suburban, and urban counties. However, clustering patterns were only noted… [more]

Is your adopted child suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? IBS sufferers have chronic abdominal discomfort with cramping, bloating or gas, diarrhea, or constipation. The cause is unclear and there isn’t a test doctors can perform to diagnose it. Therefore, according to the Mayo clinic doctors use the Rome criteria to diagnose IBS. There are test to rule out more severe conditions that also have these symptoms, however with IBS the bowel appears normal. New research has found a connection between people with allergies and sufferers with irritable bowel syndrome. Adoptive parents of older children should be aware of this disorder. For example, if your adopted child suffers from encopresis, could the cause be IBS? Your child may have been living with this discomfort for so long that it… [more]

It isn’t just obese teenagers who deal with weight issues. Many teenagers have eating disorders that are not always obvious to casual observers or family members. New research suggests that these weight issues may have common causes. Researchers spent five years studying more than 2,500 teenagers. They found that 44 percent of the girls in the study and 29 percent of the boys were either overweight, habitual binge-eaters, or had used laxatives, diet pills, or vomiting to loose weight. Many of the children in the study suffer from more than one of these issues. Girls who reported at the beginning of the study that a family member was teasing them about their weight were twice as likely as their peers to be overweight… [more]

Why is it so difficult for people to control or stop an eating disorder once they begin the eating disorder? Apparently, anorexia activates the same pathways in the brain as a club drug called ecstasy according to some scientists from France. Anorexia is an addictive habit because it stimulates the same subset of receptors called 5-HT4 in the brain for the neurotransmitter serotonin according to their study. Scientist stimulated these receptors in mice and found that it caused the mice to have a reduced drive to eat. It also boosted production of the same enzymes stimulated in response to cocaine and amphetamine use. When they blocked the receptors, the animals increased their food intake. This is exciting news because it may lead to new… [more]

Nissen fundoplication is the final option, after medications haven’t worked, for controlling severe Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease(GERD). Reflux involves formula and stomach juices sloshing up into the esophagus. Reflux can make the baby spit up frequently, irritating the esophagus and if left untreated can result in esophageal cancer. Reflux can also cause apnea and cause formula and stomach juices to go into the baby’s lungs, which can cause lung damage. Nissen fundoplication also referred to as the 'wrap' or ‘fundo’ is a surgical procedure to tighten the valve between the esophagus and the baby’s stomach. Similar to the way a scarf is wrapped around a person’s neck, part of the baby’s stomach called the "fundus" (hence the term fundoplication) is wrapped around the esophagus… [more]

A gastrostomy is an opening in the stomach surgically created usually under a general anesthetic. A gastrostomy tube, also known as a G-tube, is fitted into the surgical opening to allow feeding or to allow venting of stomach gas. If your child cannot consume enough nutrition to grow and develop properly, then food can be given through a G-tube. Another reason to insert a g-tube is if your child’s stomach needs a way to get rid of stomach gas, because of a stomach wrap procedure, to prevent food from coming back up. Up to seventy percent of infants born, either prematurely or with chronic medical conditions, display evidence of feeding problems. Severe feeding and swallowing problems are rarely isolated disorders in… [more]

More people need to become aware of the danger of obesity and high blood pressure in children. The popularity of junk foods, sodas, and long hours of playing video games and watching television instead of exercising, are taking their toll on our children’s health. These unhealthy habits are contributing to many problems including high blood pressure (hypertension). While problems with the kidneys or heart can also cause high blood pressure, for a growing number of kids, the cause is poor lifestyle habits. High blood pressure was previously a threat only to adults, but it is now affecting more children and can be the catalyst for a lifetime of serious health problems. If a young child has an elevated blood pressure, the odds… [more]

Children, including very young children can and do get GERD. GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease or acid reflux disease. The problem occurs when acid and other contents of the stomach repeatedly flow back up into the esophagus. This happens because the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) either relaxes at the wrong time, or it is weak, so it allows acid and other stomach contents to flow back up into the esophagus. For this to happen occasionally can be normal; repeated occurrences may be GERD. And if it is allowed to continue without treatment, it can damage the esophagus and cause changes to its lining. In severe cases, this can cause malnutrition, failure to thrive, ulcers, and cancerous growths. Eating just before sleeping, can trigger acid… [more]

Why do so many children in foster care or adopted through older child adoption programs suffer from eating disorders? The psychological factors that have been found to contribute to eating disorders fit the profile of almost every child in the foster care system or residing in an orphanage world wide. Factors that can contribute to an eating disorder include low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, anger, loneliness and feelings of inadequacy or lack of control. These factors can be a result of troubled family relationships, a history of physical, sexual, or verbal abuse, and difficulty expressing emotions and feelings. There are cultural pressures to look a certain way, which can affect children when they begin realizing what the world considers attractive, which cause eating