Fructose

• As parents stock up the medicine cabinet for back-to-school season, Genexa , the pioneer of the clean over-the-counter (OTC) medicine category, has today introduced its best-selling children’s product in a new organic flavor – Kids’ Pain & Fever Cherry.
• 40 and artificial sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup and sucralose found in the competitor product, Genexa Kids’ Pain & Fever uses no dyes, organic agave syrup as a sweetener, and features organic cherry flavor as well as other natural and organic inactive ingredients.
• “As dads, we understand that kids can be picky and have specific preferences when it comes to medicine.
• As a Certified B-Corporation, Genexa is committed to using business as a force for good, meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

• BRIANNAS is known for producing premium salad dressings, made in small batches using high-quality ingredients to ensure great taste in every bottle.
• Customers have been using their dressings as marinades for years, and for the first time ever, BRIANNAS is expanding their offerings to include a line of robustly flavored marinades created to make better tasting meals and enhance mealtime.
• "We're thrilled to launch our new line of marinades just in time for summer," said Jenny Van Dorf, Director of Marketing and Communications.
• BRIANNAS Marinades are gluten-free, contain no artificial flavors, and are made without high fructose corn syrup.

• With a cracker crunch and smooth vanilla crème, Meiji America Inc.'s new Meiji Hello Panda™ Vanilla 2.2 oz bag is here to answer your sweet tooth's comfort-flavor craving.
• Since the 1990s, Meiji Hello Panda Vanilla has been a beloved flavor in the Meiji® snack family.
• In addition to vanilla, Meiji also has the 2.2 oz bag in chocolate, caramel, and strawberry flavors.
• You can find the Meiji Hello Panda Vanilla 2.2 oz bag at participating retailers.

• A 2020 report found that 14.7 million children and adolescents in the U.S. live with obesity.
• Because obesity is a known risk factor for serious health problems, its rapid increase during the COVID-19 pandemic raised alarms.
• Even before adulthood, some children will have serious health problems beginning in their preteen years.
• Some of these children have severe obesity and several health complications that require multiple specialists.

How obesity is measured

• Therefore most clinicians use body measurements to screen for obesity.
• Severe obesity occurs when a child reaches the 120th percentile or has a BMI over 35.
• Severe obesity carries a heightened risk of liver disease, cardiovascular disease and metabolic problems such as diabetes.
• As of 2016, almost 8% of children ages 2 to 19 had severe obesity.

How obesity affects the liver

• The liver disease associated with obesity is called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Under the microscope, a pediatric fatty liver looks similar to a liver with alcohol damage.
• Occasionally children with fatty liver are not obese; however, the greatest risk factor for fatty liver is obesity.
• Fatty liver is the second-most common reason for liver transplantation in the U.S., and it will be the leading cause in the future.

Links between obesity and diabetes

• In a telephone interview, Dr. Barry Reiner, a pediatric endocrinologist, voiced his concerns to me about obesity and diabetes.
• “When I started my practice, I had never heard of type 2 diabetes in children,” says Reiner.
• “Now, depending on which part of the U.S., between a quarter and a third of new cases of diabetes are type 2.” Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease previously called juvenile-onset diabetes.
• However, type 2 diabetes is increasing in children, and obesity is the major risk factor.

Heart health

• Cardiovascular changes associated with obesity and severe obesity can also increase a child’s lifetime chance of heart attacks and strokes.
• Although still uncommon, more people in their 20s, 30s and 40s are having strokes and heart attacks than a few decades ago.

Talk about being healthy, not focusing on weight

• “Food, diet, lifestyle and weight are often a proxy for something greater going on in someone’s life,” says Kalami.
• Factors beyond a child’s control, including depression, access to healthy food and walkable neighborhoods, contribute to obesity.
• She adds that even preteens and teenagers should not be focusing on their weight, though they likely already are.
• “Help them pick what’s available and make the best choice, which may not be the perfect choice.” Any weight talk, either criticism or compliments for weight loss, may backfire, she adds.