NEW research from University of Michigan indicates a 63% heightened risk that an overweight child will be a target of aggressive behaviour from other kids regardless of other factors like gender, race and family wealth.

"What we found, much to our dismay, was that nothing seemed to matter. If you were obese, you were more likely to be bullied, no matter what," said research investigator Dr Julie Lumeng of the Center for Human Growth and Development.

Details of the study are expected in the June 2010 issue of the research journal, Pediatrics.

‘FOR your inheritance, you may have the first of thirty-nine clues. The first team to successfully put together the clues, which are scattered across the world, will discover the secret of Cahill power and become the richest, most important people in history.’

 – adapted from Maze of Bones, first book in the 39 Clues series. Each book in the series features adventures in a different set of countries, weaving into it history and geography. Together with collectible cards and online gaming, the series promises much more than just a reading experience. Our teen reviewer Juanita Joseph from CHIJ St Joseph who had perused the series provided this review of the first book which forms the basis of the upcoming 2011 movie release.

A YOUNG Singaporean suffered serious injuries in a jet ski accident in early April. He was apparently hit by another jet ski-er. He was part of a group of friends who were on holiday together. In another instance, my nephew J was in a neighbouring city recently. He had gone there with a few of his friends for a holiday. It so happened that his going there was at a time of some political tension. Some violence erupted there hours after his return home to Singapore a week later.

UNLESS a family is outdoor sports-oriented, it is likely that a child gets his or her early introduction to team sports via their school CCAs. In the primary school, the common ones would be netball and football with greater participation by those in the upper primary (late tweens, ages 11-12). And since 2007, there's a new team sport CCA, floorball. Some experts may argue, based on developmental criteria, that the early to mid tweens (7-10 years) may be too soon for team sports participation. Others may disagree citing other benefits. But the existence of such team sports CCAs in our primary schools underscore the value(s) a child can acquire if the participation is under proper guidance. Former athletes (individual and team sports) and educators provide their perspectives in this two-part article.

TEAM sports at early tweens (ages 7 to 11) facilitates development of cognitive and psychomotor skills, says an educator and a former top athlete, a view shared by two other experts in sports education. With generally higher levels of obesity and a tendency to small families offering fewer socially appropriate interactive contexts for the early primary school child, team sports offer him/her significant health and developmentally appropriate social benefits. They get a chance to make new friends and have good fun at the same time. In this concluding installment of a story on tweens and team sports, the experts discuss how parents can provide appropriate support in helping their child to cope with likely challenges.