Variants of leading to congenital myasthenic syndrome in two children with varying presentations.

This report describes the variation in presentation of two unrelated patients found to have a rare form of presynaptic congenital myasthenic syndrome. Both patients presented with hypotonia, ptosis, poor weight gain and apneic episodes. Through whole exome sequencing, our patients were found to have the same likely pathogenic biallelic variants in W315X and I200N of , encoding vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT).

Obesity Prevention Programs in Children: Impact on Weight, Shape and Food Concern.

Childhood overweight and obesity have an estimated prevalence of 10 % globally. High body mass index (BMI) is a known major predictor of body dissatisfaction, problem eating, low self-esteem, bullying and poor social and health outcomes for children. Childhood is also a time when lifelong habits are established, and as such is a time where prevention efforts have a high chance of success if implemented appropriately.

Prevalence of obesity, overweight and thinness in Australian children and adolescents by socioeconomic status and ethnic/cultural group in 2006 and 2012.

Objectives: To study the prevalence of obesity, overweight and thinness, by sex, SES and ethnic background in 2006 and 2012.

Methods: Large national surveys of school students were conducted. Height/weight was measured.

Relationships between body image, nutritional supplement use, and attitudes towards doping in sport among adolescent boys: implications for prevention programs.

Background: Reports of high levels of use of protein powders and nutritional supplements among young men is a concern because these substances may act as a gateway for the use of drugs and illegal substances to enhance appearance or sports performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between body dissatisfaction, weight change behaviors, supplement use, and attitudes towards doping in sport among an adolescent male sample.

Methods: Participants were 1148 male adolescents (age range 11-21 years) in Australia who completed a self-report questionnaire that measured weight change behaviors, supplement use, body dissatisfaction (Male Body Attitudes Scale; MBAS) and attitudes towards doping in sport (Performance Enhancing Attitudes Survey; PEAS).

Socioeconomic patterns of overweight, obesity but not thinness persist from childhood to adolescence in a 6-year longitudinal cohort of Australian schoolchildren from 2007 to 2012.

Background: The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity increased during the 1980s to the late 1990s. The prevalence of obesity is higher in socially and economically disadvantaged communities in most Westernised countries. The purpose of this study was to examine how the socioeconomic gradient in weight status, namely thinness, overweight and obesity, changes over time in a longitudinal cohort of Australian schoolchildren, from 2007-2012.

Nutritional quality of breakfast and physical activity independently predict the literacy and numeracy scores of children after adjusting for socioeconomic status.

Health-related behaviors [physical activity (PA), nutritional quality of breakfast and sleep]; personal variables (self-esteem, attitudes to PA and gender) and socioeconomic status (SES) (school SES and parental education), were examined in relation to literacy and numeracy scores of 824 grade 3-7 children. Participants completed a questionnaire, and their national literacy and numeracy test scores were retrieved. Mothers (N = 755) completed a telephone interview.

Plateau in obesity and overweight in a cross sectional study of low, middle and high socioeconomic status schoolchildren between 2004 and 2009.

Objective: To examine cross-sectional trends in obesity and overweight by gender, age and school socioeconomic status (SES) in 1,239 children aged 9-12 years from the same 10 primary schools in 2004 and 2009.

Methods: Self report questionnaire with measured height and weight. BMI and international (IOTF) standards were used to classify overweight and obesity.

Perceived and desired weight, weight related eating and exercising behaviours, and advice received from parents among thin, overweight, obese or normal weight Australian children and adolescents.

Background: Thin children are less muscular, weaker, less active, and have lower performance in measures of physical fitness than their normal weight peers. Thin children are also more frequently subjected to teasing and stigmatization. Little is known about thin children's weight perceptions, desired weight and attitudes and behaviours towards food and exercise.

Increased breakfast frequency and nutritional quality among schoolchildren after a national breakfast promotion campaign in Australia between 2000 and 2006.

This national study examined student breakfast consumption and nutritional quality of breakfast in 2000 and 2006 by gender, school grade, school socioeconomic status (SES) and weight status after the implementation of a national breakfast promotion campaign. Participants were 4237 schoolchildren in grades 2-12 from 32 schools in 2000 and 5645 schoolchildren from the same schools in 2006. Height and weight were measured.

A controlled intervention to promote a healthy body image, reduce eating disorder risk and prevent excessive exercise among trainee health education and physical education teachers.

This study examined the impact of two interventions on body image, eating disorder risk and excessive exercise among 170 (65% female) trainee health education and physical education (HE&PE) teachers of mean (standard deviation) age 21.6 (2.3) who were considered an 'at-risk' population for poor body image and eating disorders.

Self perception score from zero to ten correlates well with standardized scales of adolescent self esteem, body dissatisfaction, eating disorders risk, depression, and anxiety.

Unlabelled: The ability to quickly and reliably assess mental health status would assist health workers, educators and youth workers to provide appropriate early intervention for adolescents.

Objective: To investigate the validity of a simple self perception score out of ten by correlating the self perception scores of adolescents from a normal, community sample of adolescents with their scores on standardized mental health measures. Study group was 470 early adolescent students aged 11.

Body image and eating disorders amongst Japanese adolescents. A review of the literature.

This review describes the prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors as well as factors influencing body image disturbance amongst Japanese adolescents and compares the prevalence and trends with those of Westernized countries. Although eating disorders have been previously regarded as peculiar to Western society, they are now a more global issue with reports of non-Western countries including Japan having increasing rates of eating disorders. As the aetiology of eating disorders is related to societal norms, culture and ethnicity, their study requires an understanding of body image disturbance within different cultural contexts.

Obesity increase among low SES Australian schoolchildren between 2000 and 2006: time for preventive interventions to target children from low income schools?

Objectives: To examine change from 2000 to 2006 in obesity and overweight by gender, school year and school socioeconomic status (SES) in a national sample of students from Australia.

Methods: Survey of students aged 6-18 years from the same 32 schools in 2000 (N = 3,819) and 2006 (N = 5,524) with measured height and weight. All analyses were adjusted for the cluster survey design.

Body image and obesity among Australian adolescents from indigenous and Anglo-European backgrounds: implications for health promotion and obesity prevention among Aboriginal youth.

This study examines the relationship between body image and obesity, among 4367 indigenous and Anglo-European adolescents in Australia in 2006. It shows that indigenous adolescents, male and female, were more likely than their non-indigenous counterparts to desire and pursue weight gain. Indigenous males showed the greatest tendencies to gain weight and to perceive that they should build up their bodies.

Body image, dieting and disordered eating and activity practices among teacher trainees: implications for school-based health education and obesity prevention programs.

The aim was to investigate and compare body image, body dissatisfaction, dieting, disordered eating, exercise and eating disorders among trainee health education/physical education (H&PE) and non-H&PE teachers. Participants were 502 trainee teachers randomly selected from class groups at three Australian universities who completed the questionnaire. H&PE males and females had significantly poorer body image and higher levels of body dissatisfaction, dieting and disordered eating behaviors than non-H&PE participants.

Gender, ethnicity, culture and social class influences on childhood obesity among Australian schoolchildren: implications for treatment, prevention and community education.

The aim of the study was to explore the associations between obesity, weight perceptions and gender, ethnicity, culture and social class in a large national study of Australian school children. Primary and high schools (N = 47) were recruited from every state and territory of Australia and included 7889 children from government, private and Catholic schools (82% response rate) in August-November, 2006. The socioeconomic status (SES) of schools was based on a government survey of total family income.

Prevention programs for body image and eating disorders on University campuses: a review of large, controlled interventions.

Body dissatisfaction, dieting, eating disorders and exercise disorders are prevalent among male and female university students worldwide. Male students are also increasingly adopting health-damaging, body-image-related behaviors such as excessive weight lifting, body building and steroid abuse. Given the severity and difficulty of treating eating disorders, prevention of these problems is a recognized public health goal.

Socio-cognitive and nutritional factors associated with body mass index in children and adolescents: possibilities for childhood obesity prevention.

A large national study of schoolchildren aged 6-18 years was conducted to assess nutritional and socio-cognitive factors associated with body mass index (BMI). A questionnaire was used to assess nutritional quality of breakfast, importance of physical activity and food variety score, among 4441 students from randomly selected schools in all states and territories of Australia between September and December 2000. Height and weight were measured.

The role of teachers and other educators in the prevention of eating disorders and child obesity: what are the issues?

This paper examines the important contribution that teachers and other educators (including health educators, school nurses, school counselors, school psychologists, and sports coaches) have to offer in the prevention of eating disorders and child obesity. Our paper notes the important contribution of school educators whilst warning of the current need to specifically examine how teachers and school personnel may be best trained and prepared for such a preventive role, whether they currently feel willing and able to undertake such a role, and whether some groups of teachers may be personally susceptible to body image and eating problems. It is vital to understand the knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and expectations of educators implementing prevention programs in order to ensure that they are personally and professionally capable of carrying out prevention initiatives in schools.

Evidence for a self-esteem approach in the prevention of body image and eating problems among children and adolescents.

Early suggestions from the 1980s for a self-esteem approach in the prevention of eating problems have been adopted by researchers, and the results of several interventions show support for the efficacy, safety, and suitability of a predominantly self-esteem and self-acceptance approach. Several recent studies utilizing strong self-esteem components as part of their controlled prevention interventions have produced improvements in body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, internalization of the thin ideal, and attitudes associated with the eating disorders. This article discusses self-esteem as one of the important risk and protective factors in the development of body image concerns and eating disorders and describes the subsequent use of a self-esteem approach for prevention of eating disorders.

Can body image education programs be harmful to adolescent females?

The aim of the study was to evaluate two body image education posters to determine whether such preventive strategies have any negative effects on the body image of adolescent females. Female school students (N = 328) of mean age 14.4 (SD = 1.

Self-concept, self-esteem and body weight in adolescent females: a three-year longitudinal study.

Eighty girls aged 12.8 (0.6) years, completed self-concept, depression and anxiety scales over three years and had their height and weight measured.