A study conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center shows that incorporating text messaging and other electronic feedback into traditional in-clinic health counseling for parents regarding their children’s eating habits, playtime, and exercise can help protect young children from obesity and the related issues that may persist throughout their lives.
The study was led by Dr. Eliana Perrin, a distinguished professor of primary care at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health, and its findings have been published in JAMA.
Decades of research indicate that childhood obesity significantly increases the risk of lifelong obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other serious illnesses, particularly among low-income and minority populations.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five children aged 5 to 18 was affected by obesity from 2017 to 2018, and this rate has further increased during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
