Salt is a hidden enemy in children’s diets. So says the conclusion of a study by researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid, which suggests that over 80 % of Spanish schoolchildren consume excess salt; this is associated to greater risk of high blood pressure, osteoporosis and obesity. According to the authors, we first need to know the sources of dietary salt intake before we can reduce it.

Bariatric surgery, or reduction of gastric capacity, is one of the longer lasting options to achieve considerable weight loss in obese people. A Spanish researcher has participated in a study that confirms that the effects of this relatively complex medical surgery are not only physical, but also psychological.

Many women maintain the same rhythm during pregnancy almost up to the birth. However, Spanish researchers warn of the relationship between the mother’s stress during this stage with the obesity of the baby in adult life.

The level of education of parents has an influence on the frequency with which their children eat foods linked to obesity. The children of parents with low and medium levels of education eat fewer vegetables and fruit and more processed products and sweet drinks.

The fact that excess weight during pregnancy has negative consequences is not new information. A new study now concludes that the children of mothers obese before falling pregnant are four times more likely to have frequent wheezing, which is one of the symptoms of asthma, compared to the children of mothers weighing a normal weight.