A weekly round-up of news affecting your health.
OBESITY
Weight gain may have a negative impact on liver health in children as young as eight years old.
A US study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, found that bigger waist circumference at age three raises the likelihood that by age eight, children will have markers for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
"With the rise in childhood obesity, we are seeing more kids with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in our paediatric weight-management practice," said lead author, Professor Jennifer Woo Baidal from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
"Many parents know that obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions, but there is far less awareness that obesity, even in young children, can lead to serious liver disease."
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when too much fat accumulates in the liver and triggers inflammation, causing liver damage.
For the study, researchers measured blood levels of a liver enzyme called ALT of 635 children in Massachusetts.
ALT is a marker for liver damage and can occur in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and other conditions that affect the liver.
By age eight, 23 per cent had elevated ALT levels. Children with a bigger waist circumference, or those considered, obese were more likely to have elevated ALT.
Approximately 35 per cent of the obese eight year olds had elevated ALT, versus 20 per cent of those with normal weight.
The researchers have called for better ways to screen and prevent the disease from starting in childhood.
COLON CANCER
A UK study suggests that a diet free from red meat significantly reduces the risk of a type of colon cancer in women.
University of Leeds researchers were part of an international team that assessed whether red meat, poultry, fish or vegetarian diets are associated with risk of colon and rectal cancer.
For the study, the researchers used data from the United Kingdom Women's Cohort Study, which took in more than 30,000 women from England, Wales and Scotland.
When comparing the effects of these diets to cancer development in specific areas of the colon, they found that those regularly eating red meat, compared to a red meat-free diet, had higher rates of distal colon cancer - cancer found on the descending section of the colon, where faeces is stored.
"The impact of different types of red meat and dietary patterns on cancer locations is one of the biggest challenges in the study of diet and colorectal cancer," lead author Dr Diego Fernandez said.
"Our research is one of the few studies looking at this relationship and while further analysis in a larger study is needed, it could provide valuable information for those with family history of colorectal cancer and those working on prevention."
WELLBEING
Poor psychological wellbeing is linked to very different health behaviours for boys and girls, a new study has found.
Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland studied a group of 412 children aged six to eight.
They looked at the children's health behaviours, including physical activity levels, diet and sleep, and parental characteristics, to examine the impact on wellbeing.
In boys, poor levels of wellbeing were linked to having more than two hours of screen time a day, having parents who smoke each day, and breathing disorders such as snoring during sleep.
In girls, those whose parents had lower education levels were more likely to have poor psychological wellbeing.
The fittest girls were also more likely to have the best levels of well being.
The study was published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.
BALLET
Taking ballet classes in older age has numerous health benefits, an Australian trial has found.
Queensland Ballet and Queensland University of Technology this week released the results of a joint project examining the health and wellbeing benefits of ballet for older Australians.
The three-month project, incorporating 10 Ballet for Seniors classes, found participants experienced higher energy levels, greater flexibility, improved posture, and an enhanced sense of achievement.
Participants also reported feeling happier and enjoyed a sense of community and friendship.
Performance psychologist and former professional ballet dancer Professor Gene Moyle from QUT's Creative Industries Faculty, says movement, be it dance or other forms of exercise, is critical to better ageing.
"The physical benefits of movement and dance on ageing bodies is well-documented and our project really re-enforces these findings, however, additionally highlights the joy and benefits social connections in dance can bring to people's lives," Professor Moyle said.
