The number of overweight or obese children in Wigan Pier, U.K., is higher than the national average. Here’s what the local government is doing about it.

A recent paper discusses smart devices that promote healthy behavior related to childhood obesity and provide “snacking behavior notifications” to parents.

Devices, including wearable tech, have limitations. Can gadgets be taught to meaningfully compare actionable data? And how can they used to fight obesity?

Different kinds of wearable tech, including fitness trackers for kids, are employed to fight childhood obesity — some more successfully than others.

In addiction recovery, a relapse consists of an episode that turns into a spiral. The whole trick is to never take that first step back into bondage.

Childhood Obesity News continues to discuss studies designed to assess the usefulness of Ecological Momentary Assessment in evaluating physical activity.

Studies show that EMA works well in combination with technological data-gathering devices, and is an effective tool in evaluating physical activity.

Ecological Momentary Assessment helps researchers collect data, including factors that target behavior change for the weight-management interventions.

Because the United Kingdom has similar laws to the U.S.A. and a very familiar obesity problem, Childhood Obesity News has been tracking what goes on there.

A subject as large as obesity is bound to attract a lot of theories. Among them is an effort to revive the “forgotten food sense.”

Join Dr. Pretlow for a webinar held on Sun., Jan. 14, 7 p.m. ET, on the topic of “Treatment of Child/Adolescent Obesity as an Addictive Process.”

Why do we think we not good enough, not beautiful enough, not thin enough, not smart enough, not successful enough? Because we compare ourselves to others.

Psychiatrists and psychologists are uniquely situated to treat obesity, but there are many non-psychiatrists who can also help reverse the obesity epidemic.

A psychologist often acts as a gatekeeper at the doors of a bariatric surgery decision, and there are many factors involved in bariatric surgery screening.

The technology that enables long-distance monitoring and counseling can help make a dent in the intimidating childhood obesity statistics.

A one-size-fits-all approach is rarely appropriate when it comes to weight loss. Fortunately, many professionals are equipped to help enable behavioral change.

Although it’s a survival mechanism, FOMO has side effects. When the experience of eating is the thing a person feels deprived of, obesity can easily result.

On the subject of mental health professionals and obesity, it is worth noting that a lot of obesity-causing behavior is based on the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

Standup comedian Lisa Lampanelli’s play “Stuffed” revolves around women and their food and body-image issues.

FOMO is a treatable problem that can be approached in a number of ways by allied healthcare providers who are neither MDs nor psychiatrists.

Even though it’s not established that obesity is an addictive process, this does not preclude using an addiction-model methods, proved effective to treat it.

Having discussed the almost non-existent role of psychiatrists in treating obesity, we now look at the psychiatric or mental health nurse practitioner.

Since most obesity results from overeating, which should be defined as an eating disorder, is it most effectively treated by the mental health professionals?

Are people trained in the mental health field the most appropriate and potentially effective treaters of obesity?

A lot of taxpayer dollars could have been put to better use such as, to name just a few possibilities, obesity prevention and treatment and diabetes prevention.

When the Chicago soda tax was threatened by a lawsuit and a restraining order, officials cast aside all pretense of intent to raise money to fight obesity.

While various soda tax battles were being waged in California, Colorado, and other states, Illinois entered the fray with a saga worthy of a TV mini-series.

The rationale for a soda tax is that money is spent on anti-obesity measures, but in reality the money often goes to all kinds of things.

Early last year, an attempt was made to tax soda, but the public wasn’t having it. Even the suggestion to label high-sugar beverages was shot down.

‘Tis the season of what? Maybe regretful groans. Or it could be day after day of opportunities to practice new skills.