It's easy for research on childhood obesity to grab headlines, since it is a growing, complicated problem and also an emotionally charged one. While recent studies may help scientists and doctors work toward a solution, for the general public they mostly just stir up worries and offer little practical advice.
If you're a working mom, for example, does knowing that there's a link (not necessarily a cause) between moms' employment and kids' BMI make you more likely to quit your job? I doubt it. If you have an infant, would your plans change if you knew that formula-fed babies who were fed solid foods before age four months had greater odds of being obese at age 3? Maybe, if you happened to learn this at precisely the right time. But in both cases, I'm betting that your first response would be guilt and worry. And that's what the headline writers are hoping for, too.
I often blog here about research on fitness and obesity, and I will continue to do so when studies are particularly relevant, interesting, or groundbreaking. But I'll always try to include a suggested plan of action to go along with them. For instance, if you are a work-outside-the-home mom, that study might prompt you to find a gym for your family, create a group fitness challenge, or look for new ways to fit sports into your family schedule. All of those are a lot more practical than quitting your job or succumbing to a guilt attack.
If you have questions about these or other studies, you can reach me in the comments here, by email, or on my Facebook page.