Posts filed under 'Nutrition News'
Published on: 12/01/05
A pending lawsuit against Coca-Cola will charge that the Atlanta soft drink giant uses caffeine to addict schoolchildren to its nutritionally bankrupt product, and the legal team behind the class-action suit is the same one that successfully challenged Big Tobacco.
There’s no disputing that children should not be drinking as many soft drinks as they are. Soft drinks represent almost a fourth of the caloric intake of children ages 2 to 19, and teens consume twice as much soda as milk. Daily consumption of one 12-ounce sweetened soft drink raises a child’s risk of obesity by 60 percent.
Schools ought to end their unholy alliance with the soft drink industry whereby they permit vending machines in their hallways in return for a portion of the sales. The Sprites and Cokes are too tempting for teens, most of whom know nothing about the word “moderation” — except, perhaps, how to spell it.
Because of the epidemic of childhood obesity and the specter of legislative action, the soft drink companies have made concessions, removing sugary sodas from elementary and middle schools. However, soft drinks are still available in about 60 percent of the nation’s public and private high schools, and many teens still regard a Coke and a Snickers bar as lunch.
Which brings up another point: If caffeine in schools is a threat, the lawyers shouldn’t stop with soda. There’s caffeine in the candy bars dispensed from vending machines and in the chocolate milk served in the cafeteria. (And don’t forget all those tins of chocolate-doused popcorn and cashews that children sell as fund-raisers.) There’s twice as much caffeine in a glass of ice tea, the elixir of the South, as in a glass of Coke.
The problem isn’t the Coke that kids today swill like water. Their appetite for sweet beverages is a symptom of the larger and more complex issue — sugar and fat have become the staples of American children’s diets, from Cocoa Puffs in the morning to extra-cheese pizza at night. An after-school snack used to be an apple. Now, it’s Frosted S’Mores Pop-Tarts.
And it’s not just children who are getting fat. Their parents also have lousy diets and compromised health.
Until attorneys are ready to serve notice on every pantry in America, children will continue to develop poor dietary habits — not from what they learn at school but from what they see at home.
Source: ajc.com
December 1st, 2005
Fruit bats may be acting as reservoirs of the killer Ebola virus, responsible for several deadly outbreaks in central Africa, research suggests.
Three bat species captured during outbreaks between 2001 and 2003 in Gabon and the Republic of Congo show evidence of symptomless infection.
Writing in Nature, researchers in Gabon say this means the animals may play a key role in spreading the virus.
They say local residents should be encouraged to refrain from eating bats.
The first human outbreak of Ebola was recorded in 1976, but scientists have still to pin down which species harbour the virus.
If bats are among the culprits, they are more likely to pass the virus on to great apes such as gorillas and chimpanzees, which have been badly affected.
However, it is also possible that bats could infect humans directly.
Researchers from the Centre International de Recherches Medicales de Franceville trapped and tested more than 1,000 small animals in Ebola-affected areas.
They found fruit bats of three species - Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti and Myonycteris torquata - had either genetic sequences from the virus or evidence of an immune response to it.
Traces of the virus were found in the animals’ liver and spleen - two organs specifically targeted by Ebola.
Dry season
Each of the three species has a broad geographical range that includes regions of Africa where human Ebola outbreaks occur.
Previous research has suggested that bats may also harbour the deadly Marburg and Sars viruses.
Death rates from Ebola among the great apes tends to increase during dry seasons, when food is scare in the forest, and animals are more likely to come into contact with other species as they compete with food.
Immune function in bats is also known to change during these periods, providing the virus with more favourable conditions in which to reproduce.
Professor Tony Hart, of the University of Liverpool, told the BBC News website bats had long been suspected of harbouring Ebola.
One of the earliest outbreaks of the virus in Sudan was linked to a cotton factory filled with the animals.
Professor Hart said: “This is another piece in the jigsaw. It is good to know where this virus comes from, and it might help us to get some idea about the diversity of different strains.
“But whether it will enable us to do anything about the virus is another matter.
“Ebola tends to amplify itself through the great apes, so the best way to avoid infection is to avoid contact with them.”
Dr Dilys Morgan, of the Health Protection Agency, said bats appeared to harbour many viruses that were posing a growing threat to man.
For instance, they have been implicated as the natural reservoir for the recently discovered nipah virus, which also produces deadly fever.
“Bats are long lived, highly gregarious animals, and there is a suspicion that they may have modified immune systems which we don’t fully understand that can harbour these viruses,” she said.
Dr Morgan said humans were coming into increasing contact with bats because agriculture was encroaching into territories where the creatures traditionally thrived.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
December 1st, 2005
By Lori Corbin
For pets, the planet or just to peel off a few pounds, many are looking to a vegan diet.
But, unlike vegetarians, a vegan diet is strictly plant based. Absolutely no animal products what so ever. No meat, eggs, dairy, fish, or fowl of any kind. While that may seem limiting, it is a diet that’s packed with good things.
Owner of Nutrifit, dietitian Jackie Keller operates a nutritional catering business, servicing those with many different nutritional needs. She says the diet is tough to follow for a novice. Since food is her business, Keller incorporates plenty of soy protein, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, and a plethora of produce.
Contrary to popular belief, vegans can get adequate protein in their diet. What they lack is vitamin B-12, which you can only get from meat. In addition, vegans need to make sure they get adequate iron, calcium, riboflavin, zinc and vitamin D. No surprise, health experts recommend taking a supplement on this type of program. It’s also helpful to eat certain foods in tandem, like iron rich black beans with a food high in vitamin C (like red bell pepper, oranges, kiwi, etc.) Keller says vegetarians and vegans benefit with lower rates of cholesterol, hypertension, cancer, obesity and reduced risk of kidney problems.
A recent study at George Washington University proved that vegan dieting works well, at least for overweight post menopausal women. They lost almost twice as much weight as those following a standard low cholesterol diet; fourteen pounds versus eight pounds.
In addition it’s important to remember, animal free doesn’t mean taste free. Keller recommends giving your body a break by eating semi-vegan a few days a week.
Source: abclocal.go.com
December 1st, 2005
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) — In patients with type 2 diabetes, 14 weeks of a high-carbohydrate diet modestly raises blood pressure compared to a diet high in monounsaturated fat, new study findings indicate.
Studies evaluating the effects of high-carbohydrate and high-monounsaturated fat diets have yielded conflicting results, Dr. Abhimanyu Garg and colleagues note in their report, published in the journal Diabetes Care. They suggest that these studies may have been limited by their short duration.
Their own study compared the effect of two same-calorie diets: a high-carbohydrate diet consisting of 55 percent of calories as carbohydrate, 30 percent as fat, and 10 percent as monounsaturated fat; and a high-monounsaturated fat diet deriving 40 percent of calories from carbohydrate, 45 percent from fat, and 25 percent from monounsaturated fat.
The 42 patients with type 2 diabetes participating in the study consumed each diet for 6 weeks, with about 1 week between the two periods, with the order of the diets randomly assigned. Subjects were invited to continue the second diet for an additional 8 weeks. Eight patients continued on the high-monounsaturated fat diet and 13 continued on the high-carbohydrate diet.
Garg, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and his associates found that, after the initial 6-week periods, there were no significant differences between diets in systolic or diastolic blood pressure, the upper and lower numbers on a standard reading, respectively, or in heart rate.
However, after the 8 week-extension, the high carbohydrate diet was associated with a diastolic blood pressure that was 7 points higher than at the end of both 6-week phases, systolic blood pressure was 6 points higher, and heart rate was higher by 7 to 8 beats per minute.
In contrast, the 8-week extension of the high-monounsaturated fat diet led to a significant lowering of heart rate compared with the end of the initial 6-week periods. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 3 to 4 points lower after 14 weeks on the high-monounsaturated fat diet, but the difference did not reach statistical significance.
“The most plausible mechanism for an increase in blood pressure and heart rate on a high-carbohydrate diet compared with a high-monounsaturated fat diet might be the accentuation of” high insulin levels, the authors propose.
Source: tehrantimes.com
November 30th, 2005
ALISON HARDIE
SCOTS are failing to heed warnings about their health by continuing to drink, smoke and eat to excess, a new report has shown.
The only improvement Scotland has made as it struggles to shake off its “sick man of Europe” tag is to minimally reduce the number of adults who smoke.
The figure has fallen from 34 per cent to 31 per cent since 1998.
However, the results of the Scottish Health Survey 2003 published yesterday paints a picture of a nation that continues to indulge in binge drinking, has scant regard for its diet and ignores persistent health warnings about obesity and failing to exercise.
It also illustrates the extent of the health gap between the rich and poor in Scotland.
The report found that in the most deprived parts of Scotland 51 per cent of men and 45 per cent of women smoke. In the most affluent parts of the country, however, only 15 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women are smokers.
Maureen Moore, chief executive of anti-smoking group ASH Scotland, said: “In Scotland, cigarette smoking and nicotine addiction is something increasingly confined to the poorest parts of our society. Medical advice and government warnings are getting through to the privileged, but they’re failing to penetrate the smoking culture of the disadvantaged.
“Such figures underline the need for Scotland’s smoking ban, which is due to come into force next March. With the highest smoking rates concentrated in more deprived areas, it is vital that we provide protection from second-hand smoke and also challenge the culture of smoking that assumes smoking is a normal thing to do. We need to invest for the long-term in effective services that will help people to stop smoking.”
Ms Moore added that 13,000 people die because of smoking related diseases every year in Scotland. Most of those deaths are in the poorest parts of society and in some parts of Glasgow men cannot even expect to reach the age of 70.
Despite the depressing results, Andy Kerr, the health minister, said yesterday that there were aspects of the report that offered reasons to be optimistic that the general health of Scotland was improving.
He highlighted the fact that fewer Scots were dying prematurely from the big three killers of cancer, heart disease and stroke.
But Mr Kerr added: “We know that Scotland is facing major issues such as rising obesity levels and increased alcohol consumption, particularly among women.
“It is also disappointing that smoking and alcohol consumption among 15-year-olds is on the increase.”
Mr Kerr insisted there were signs of improvement, such as falling smoking levels among adults. “We know that it will take generations to turn the tide of ill health and health inequalities,” he said. “Change will not happen overnight but we are committed to this for the long term.”
The survey showed that the number of female binge drinkers increased from 16 per cent to 19 per cent and that the number exceeding weekly recommended limits for alcohol risen from 15 per cent to 17 per cent.
The number of female “problem drinkers” has also increased since 1998 from 5 per cent to 7 per cent, while in males the number increased from 12 per cent to 13 per cent.
However, the number of men binge drinking and exceeding weekly recommended alcohol limits dropped from 34 per cent to 29 per cent.
The number of 15-year-old boys and girls who drank at least once a week also increased from 9 per cent to 15 per cent and from 6 per cent to 10 per cent respectively.
The number of girls aged eight to 15 who smoke has doubled from 3 per cent to 6 per cent, but decreased among boys in the same age group from 4 per cent to 3 per cent.
The survey showed that smoking among men fell from 36 per cent to 32 per cent and in women from 33 per cent to 31 per cent.
It also found that among children almost half eat one portion or more, but less than three portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
Despite the survey’s findings, the World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday praised the way that health problems had been tackled by the Scottish Executive and the NHS.
Erio Ziglio, of the WHO’s European office for investment for development and health, said: “Scottish problems are not unique - European cities such as Turin and Malmo share the kind of sharp differences in life expectancy which we see in Glasgow, for example.
“However, many other countries are not as far ahead in dealing with health inequalities as Scotland, and I am keen to see how we can communicate this more widely.”
Harsh reality: obesity and drink problems on the up
• Obesity among men and women increased from 19 per cent to 22 per cent and 21 per cent to 24 per cent respectively.
• Obesity among boys aged from two to 15 went up from 14 per cent to 18 per cent and in girls dropped slightly.
• The number of female binge drinkers increased from 16 per cent to 19 per cent and the number exceeding weekly recommended limits went from 15 per cent to 17 per cent.
• The number of female “problem drinkers” also went up from 5 per cent to 7 per cent. In males the number rose from 12 per cent to 13 per cent.
• The number of men binge drinking and exceeding weekly recommended alcohol limits dropped from 34 per cent to 29 per cent.
• The number of 15-year-old boys and girls who drank at least once a week went up from 9 per cent to 15 per cent and from 6 per cent to 10 per cent respectively.
• The number of girls aged eight to 15 who smoked rose from 3 per cent to 6 per cent but fell among boys of the same age from 4 per cent to 3 per cent.
• Smoking among men fell from 36 per cent to 32 per cent and in women from 33 per cent to 31 per cent.
Source: news.scotsman.com
November 30th, 2005
Liver diseases, including cirrhosis, are increasingly being seen in overweight teenagers, experts report.
Cirrhosis, irreparable liver damage, is commonly linked with alcohol misuse, but can also be caused by a fatty diet.
Dr Giorgina Mieli-Vergani, a specialist at King’s College Hospital in London, warned teenagers with liver problems may need transplants in later life.
Obesity experts said the warnings gave added weight to the argument that children need to eat well.
Dr Mieli-Vergani said she had seen one 15-year-old who was very overweight and suffering from cirrhosis and other liver problems linked to obesity.
Professor Roger Williams, the liver specialist who treated George Best at the Cromwell Hospital in London, said he too had recently treated a teenager who was in the stage before the full onset of cirrhosis.
He described the case, and the health concerns it raised for obese teenagers, as “frightening”.
Inflammation
In cirrhosis, which occurs during the late stages of various liver disorders, normal tissue is destroyed and replaced by fibrous scar tissue.
This permanent damage prevents the liver from performing its normal functions.
However, Dr Mieli-Vergani said this was the severe end of the spectrum, and the more common problem she saw was non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH).
She said that 10 years ago, she saw around one child every two years with NASH. However, it has now risen to between six and 10.
NASH increases the risk of having further liver problems.
Both cirrhosis and NASH could increase the risk an affected teenager could require a liver transplant later in life - if they do not change their habits, Dr Mieli-Vergani said.
She told the BBC News website: “There’s no doubt whatsoever that there has been an increase in NASH over the last 10 years, which is partly due to diet.”
Dr Mieli-Vergani said the US was seeing the most cases of NASH, but warned the UK was probably the “worst country in Europe”.
She said this was largely because of the high-fat, high sugar diet many children ate.
Excess fat in liver cells can cause them to expand, leading to inflammation and scarring.
Dr David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, said: “There really isn’t an organ in the body that is safe from the effects of obesity - and the liver is a vital organ.”
Catherine Arkley, chief executive of the Children¿s Liver Disease Foundation said: “We have seen an enormous rise in the number of children with fatty liver disease.”
But she added:”We still know remarkably little about NASH in young people and this highlights the need for more research so informed guidelines can be given.”
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
November 29th, 2005
Eggs have become the latest target of the Hong Kong government’s avian flu prevention measures.
Chester Yung
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Eggs have become the latest target of the Hong Kong government’s avian flu prevention measures.
While stressing there is no evidence that raw eggs are a source of infection, Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow said Monday the government is considering new measures, including legislation, to improve surveillance to help reduce the risk of an avian flu outbreak in Hong Kong.
“The World Organisation for Animal Health suggests every country undertake measures to manage raw eggs,” he said after a seminar on pest control.
“We will follow this advice and consider further regulations, and legislation if necessary.”
One of the main objectives of the organization, also known as the Office International des Epizooties, is to guarantee the safety of food from animal origins. According to the OIE’s latest Terrestrial Animal Health Code, countries importing eggs should require international veterinary certificates as proof of origin from exporting nations.
The SAR has no laws requiring such certificates, but the rising number of avian flu outbreaks in the mainland and elsewhere has raised concerns over potential transmission via eggs.
China has reported three confirmed human cases of H5N1 infection.
The first, a nine-year-old boy in Hunan, made a full recovery. His 12-year-old sister, an unconfirmed case but with similar symptoms, died. Her body was cremated, making further tests impossible. The children were reported to have eaten a sick chicken.
The other confirmed cases, both fatal, involved two women in Anhui province.
A 24-year-old poultry farmer and a 35-year-old farmer both died earlier this month.
“We have to look at the situation … as Hong Kong has no such legislation currently,” Chow said. “We also have to examine the impact if we legislate. We need to ensure the monitoring of food safety is up to required standard. For fresh eggs imported from regions that have had infections, we must require certificates to ensure the eggs are from the disease-free farms.”
Imports of mainland eggs have dropped 30 percent since the outbreak, said wholesalers who have been making up the shortfall from the United States and Germany.
According to a recent report by CLSA Asia Pacific Markets, the mainland produces 25 percent of the world’s poultry and 43 percent of eggs.
“We support the government’s move because it will reduce any confusion over food sources,” wholesaler Wong Leung-wan said.
Meanwhile, some restaurants such as the Cafe de Coral group have stopped serving fried eggs in which the yolks are not fully cooked.
“Although avian flu is not a food- borne disease, raw poultry meat and eggs may be contaminated by bacteria or viruses such as salmonella or avian flu, ” a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department spokeswoman said.
“The mainstay of prevention lies in thorough cooking, which can kill bacteria and viruses in food.”
Source: thestandard.com
November 29th, 2005
Injecting drugs into the buttocks may not be a reliable way of administering medicine, research suggests.
Doctors from a hospital in Dublin found many patients had so much fleshy tissue on their buttocks that jabs could not properly penetrate to the muscle.
They found women, and in particular obese women, were most likely not to get the full intended dose.
Details were presented to a conference of the Radiological Society of North America.
Lead researcher Dr Victoria Chan, based the Adelaide and Meath Hospital, said: “Our study has demonstrated that a majority of people, especially women, are not getting the proper dosage from injections to the buttocks.
“There is no question that obesity is the underlying cause. We have identified a new problem related, in part, to the increasing amount of fat in patients’ buttocks.”
Many medications are administered through injections into the muscles of the buttocks, including painkillers, vaccines, contraceptives and anti-nausea drugs.
Good site
The buttock is the preferred site because it contains relatively few major blood vessels, nerves or bones that could be damaged by the needle, but the underlying muscle has a rich supply of microscopic blood vessels which can absorb medicines effectively.
Intramuscular injections are a common alternative when patients cannot take pills.
The use of injections has increased over the past 10 years and new medications have been developed for delivery in this way.
However, Dr Chan’s research found 68% of the injections do not reach the muscles of the buttock.
She said: “The amount of fat tissue overlying the muscles exceeds the length of the needles commonly used for these injections.”
Pharmaceutical companies design medications based on the assumption that they are injected straight into the muscle.
Injections which only reach into the fat tissue will not deliver as much medication, as the tissue contains significantly fewer blood vessels.
Dr Chan said her work suggested that patients were either not receiving the maximum benefit of a drug or receiving no benefit at all.
Furthermore, if the medication is not absorbed into the blood stream, it remains in the fatty tissue where it can cause local infection and irritation.
The research focused on 50 patients due to undergo abdomen or pelvis scans.
Each was given an intramuscular jab which contained a small air bubble so the researchers could track the path of the medication when they carried out the scans.
Only 56% of injections successfully reached muscle tissue in men - while in women the success rate was just 8%.
Compared to men, women typically have a higher amount of fat in their buttocks.
Dr Chan said longer needles would be need to increase the success rate of the jabs.
Vaccine problem
Professor Richard Guy, an expert in pharmaceutical sciences at Bath University, told the BBC News website the effectiveness of vaccines could be particularly compromised.
They tend to be made up of large molecules that would only slowly diffuse out of fat tissue.
He said: “Whether using longer needles is a practical solution, I’m not sure, as these are unlikely to be terribly popular.
“A better approach might be to give the intramuscular injection where there is less fat around.”
Professor Guy said alternative technologies, such as micro needles, were under development which can deliver drugs into the blood vessels underlying the skin.
Dr Jim Kennedy, prescribing spokesman for the Royal College of General Practitioners, said intramuscular injections were not in as common use in the UK as other parts of Europe.
He said obesity was doubtless a factor but it was also important to use the right length of needle and to ensure that those who administered jabs had proper technique.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
November 29th, 2005
KEVIN SCHOFIELD EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT
CHIP shop owners who offer special cut-price lunchtime deals aimed at school pupils were yesterday criticised by a senior education official.
Sheila Tulloch, the head of school catering at East Renfrewshire Council, said the deals were hampering efforts to improve the diet of young Scots.
She further called on parents to do more to encourage their children to choose the healthier food now on offer in school canteens, rather than visiting the nearest chip shop.
“The classic chippy deal is anything - as long as it’s deep fried - plus a fizzy drinks can for £1.50. That’s simply not healthy and is poor nutrition for growing young people,” she said.
“We offer healthy meal deals, based on soup, sandwiches, water, fruit and everything from pizzas, through baguettes to paninis, with plenty of salad, from £1.40 to £2 - and you’re guaranteed good food.”
Ms Tulloch added: “I appeal to parents who give their children cash each day to encourage them not to go to takeaways, which offer a poor meal deal in real terms, but to eat healthily and well at school.”
Source: scotsman.com
November 29th, 2005
Asian News International
London, November 28, 2005
The next time you complain about your kid not having his/her greens just think whether you had the right kind of food during pregnancy, as researchers have now found that flavours experienced in the womb and, later, in mothers’ milk may have a significant influence on what children are willing to eat.
Research shows that the experience of food eaten by pregnant women and mothers can be transmitted to their foetuses and infants, according to a nutritionist, Julie Mennella.
Those first flavours can play a major role in determining a child’s later food preferences. The research suggests that one way to help persuade children to eat their greens might be for mothers to eat vegetables themselves during and just after pregnancy.
“Although there are a lot of different factors involved, it might be sensible for mothers to think about what they’re eating,” Mennella, of the Monell Institute in Philadelphia, was quoted by The Independent,as saying.
She told a nutrition conference in Barcelona that research around the world had demonstrated the transmission of flavours through amniotic fluid in the womb and breast milk. One French study had shown the children of mothers exposed to anise-flavoured drinks while breastfeeding were less likely to be put off by the taste of aniseed than other babies. Similar research in Ireland found the same kind of results using garlic.
Other work involving vanilla, onions and carrots had shown that foods could flavour amniotic fluid as well as breast milk and they also influenced children’s tastes.
The effect is already well known in animals. A European study showed that newly weaned rabbits will make juniper berries their food of choice if the berries had previously been fed to their mothers.
Taste and smell are primitive senses developed according to evolutionary pressure to help guide us towards the most beneficial food sources, Ms Mennella told the meeting, organised by a baby food manufacturer, Nutricia. In times of scarcity, this means seeking out sweet tastes which act as “labels” for high calorie foods. Unpleasant, bitter tastes, on the other hand, offer a warning of potentially harmful foods such as poisonous vegetables.
Mothers, Menella suggested, could help “programme” their new-borns into knowing what is good for them through their own food choices.
Source: hindustantimes.com
November 29th, 2005
Date: Monday, November 28, 2005
By: KAREN MATTHEWS, Associated Press Writer, APonline
NORTHPORT, N.Y. (AP) - In a mirror-lined dance studio, teenagers sashay through a number from the musical “Hairspray.” Next door in the weight room, teacher Shawn Scattergood demonstrates proper form on the leg press. At Northport High School on Long Island, physical education also includes yoga, step aerobics and fitness walking, as well as team sports like volleyball and basketball. There are archery targets, soccer fields and a rock-climbing wall where students inscribe their names to show how high they get.
For anyone who grew up when P.E. meant being picked last for softball, it’s a dizzying array of choices.
“What we try and do is give them a real broad offering so that they can choose things they want to do,” said Robert Christenson, the director of physical education. He said the current curriculum has been developed over the last five years.
While the offerings at Northport, where the median household income is $86,456, may exceed those at many public high schools, the school is representative of a national phys ed trend that promotes fitness and downplays competitive sports that leave the uncoordinated feeling left out.
“There’s been a major trend by school districts to improve their fitness centers,” said Tom Caione, director of physical education for the suburban Bedford Central School District north of New York City. “It’s really not ‘roll out the old ball,’ as it was.”
George Graham, a professor of kinesiology at Penn State University and past president of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, said there has been a revolution in the way physical education is taught in America.
“Historically, there were two emphases - competitive team sports and physical fitness testing,” he said. “The emphasis today is more on helping youngsters develop the competence that leads to confidence and enjoyment of a lifetime of physical activity.”
“We have schools teaching yoga, rock-climbing, martial arts, fly-fishing,” Graham said. “If a kid is in a program that hasn’t changed from when the parents were in school, it’s just not OK.”
The changes are occurring amid growing concern that sedentary lifestyles are fueling an epidemic of childhood obesity, with experts estimating that 30 percent of American schoolchildren are overweight or obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 6 percent to 8 percent of schools provide the daily physical education classes that advocates recommend.
In Florida, high school students need only one year of P.E. to graduate, said Jane Greenberg, who heads the Division of Life Skills and Special Projects for Miami-Dade County public schools.
But more Miami-Dade students are choosing to take phys ed since the district started providing elliptical trainers and heart-rate monitors and adding classes like kayaking and snorkeling, Greenberg said.
“By offering these more innovative lifetime activities we’re getting them back,” she said. “On the average the kids that are overweight are losing 8 to 10 pounds a semester.”
At Northport High, the gleaming weight machines and well-maintained tennis courts rival an expensive health club. There is also a sprawling “adventure” area where students can perform team wall-climbing exercises or reach for a trapeze from the top of an 18-foot pole.
Fourteen-year-old Stephen Jackman said he enjoys team sports like flag football and ultimate Frisbee but was looking forward to the weightlifting unit, because “you’re just competing against yourself.”
As remarkable as the up-to-date equipment, the school district’s mission statement is striking, too: “Classes are undertaken in an active, caring, supportive and non-threatening atmosphere in which every student is challenged to grow. … Every student, regardless of ability or ability level, is provided with a learning environment that is modified, when necessary, to allow for maximum participation.”
At the recent dance class, led by full-time dance teacher Kaylie Howard, pupils were at all ability levels and one was in special education.
“There’s no reason to feel bad,” said Michael Carbuccia, 16. “Maybe it’s just Ms. Howard. If you have trouble with something she’ll help you personally. We’re all doing our best and we’re happy with it.”
Source: blackamericaweb.com
November 29th, 2005
Michael Woods / Toledo Blade
These are the D days — vitamin D days.
It’s the time of year when people get less exposure to sunlight, which the body needs to make vitamin D. Blame winter’s short days and the cold, stormy weather that keeps people indoors.
On the one hand, research shows that vitamin D is important for strong bones and protecting people against cancer and other diseases. On the other hand, study after study shows that most Americans — especially older people — don’t get enough of this key vitamin.
Vitamin D is an odd nutrient. People get very little of it from food. Even the best of diets — with dairy products fortified with the vitamin — supplies only about 10 percent of the vitamin D that the body uses each day.
Sunlight provides the other 90 percent. Sunlight orchestrates a chemical reaction in the skin that makes vitamin D and supplies it to the rest of the body. Natural production of vitamin D dwindles on short, dim days.
The body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. Without it, calcium will pass out of the body without doing any good.
Some studies hint that ample vitamin D is more important in preventing the bone-weakening disorder osteoporosis than taking calcium supplements.
The recommended daily allowance for the vitamin is 200 International Units up to age 50, 400 IUs for ages 50-70, and 600 IUs for people older than 70.
One of the richest and most affordable sources, fortified milk, contains barely 100 IUs per cup. Other good sources are salmon (360 IUs per serving), mackerel (345), sardines (250) and tuna (200). For those with cast-iron taste buds, a tablespoon of cod liver oil has 1,360 IUs.
Multivitamin tablets for older adults, calcium-with-vitamin D tablets, and plain vitamin D tablets usually contain 400 IUs.
But don’t go overboard with vitamin D supplements. Unlike some other vitamins, too much D can be toxic. The safe upper limit is about 2,000 IUs daily, according to the Institute of Medicine.
Source: detnews.com
November 29th, 2005
Evidence of its cancer-fighting benefits is inconclusive
By Karen Collins, R.D.
MSNBC
Updated: 6:34 p.m. ET Nov. 26, 2005
Karen Collins, R.D.
A recent study of women in a cancer risk assessment program highlights the confusion people still have about soy foods.
Forty-five percent of the women who ate soy foods on a regular basis said that part of the reason they did so was to lower their risk of cancer. Yet seven percent of the women in the study who did not eat soy foods on a regular basis said that they were concerned that soy might increase their risk of breast cancer.
This difference in opinion is understandable because the evidence is still inconclusive.
Several types of studies suggest that soy could help lower the risk for at least some cancers. For instance, the low risk that Asians have for most cancers may stem from their lifelong use of soy foods. Laboratory studies also show that soy’s estrogen-like phytochemicals can bind to estrogen receptors. This activity could possibly block estrogen’s breast cancer-promoting effects. In other studies, soy phytochemicals inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells.
Soy also appears to protect a person in studies that compare soy intake between people diagnosed with cancer and people who are cancer-free. Those who ate the most soy, which ranged from several servings a week to once a day, had a 25 to 50 percent lower risk of prostate, breast and uterine cancers. In some cases, however, the link between soy consumption and lower cancer risk disappears when the analysis figures in the impact of weight control, vegetable consumption, limited meat intake and regular exercise.
Cancer survivors are often highly concerned about soy’s effects on cancer recurrence, yet the evidence on soy for this group is also inconclusive.
Grounds for concern?
Research presented at the most recent American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) international conference showed that the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) count, which can identify prostate enlargement or cancer, dropped in 34 percent of a group of men, after they ate soy protein daily for eight weeks.
Some researchers, however, worry that the weak estrogens in soy’s phytochemicals could stimulate the development of precancerous cells or malignant cells of estrogen-sensitive cancers like breast cancer. This is a very difficult theory to test, but a few laboratory studies suggest there may be grounds for concern.
Part of why it’s so hard to identify soy’s influence on cancer risk may be that its benefits depend on when it is consumed. In several population and laboratory studies, much of soy’s protection against breast cancer comes when it is consumed before or around puberty. At this age, soy appears to affect how breast tissue develops. If women start consuming soy later in life, its benefits may be more limited.
For now, most researchers say it is reasonable for everyone to include soy foods as part of a balanced, mostly plant-based diet.
While cancer-prevention benefits are uncertain, these foods offer a healthy amount of protein, fiber, vitamins and sometimes calcium with little saturated fat. Although soy foods are often suggested for their phytochemicals like genistein, the impact of traditional soy foods such as tofu, soy nuts and soymilk are probably quite different from the effects of soy supplements or a bar containing corn syrup, vegetable oil, chocolate and soy protein.
When you consider any food’s nutritional value, you should focus on more than its phytochemical content.
Whether or not soy reduces the chance of cancer recurrence, most researchers think soy foods are safe for cancer survivors to eat anywhere from once a day to several times a week. For more proven cancer protection, however, cancer survivors and everyone else should concentrate on reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and eating a mostly plant-based diet centered around vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.
Nutrition Notes is provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C.
Source: msnbc.msn.com
November 29th, 2005
IAN JOHNSTON
PEOPLE who are officially classed as overweight are not necessarily putting their health at risk and going on a diet could be dangerous, according to new research.
A row has been raging after a controversial US study earlier this year found that those deemed to be overweight - because of their high weight to height ratio - actually had a lower chance of dying prematurely than people whose weight was “normal”.
Now scientists are increasingly supporting the findings and casting doubt on the value of the body mass index (BMI) system of measuring whether someone is too heavy, according to New Scientist magazine.
This is because it does not take fat levels into account. The BMI method would suggest actor Brad Pitt and George Bush, the US president, are overweight, mostly because they exercise regularly and have built up the amount of lean tissue in their bodies. And experts warned that anyone deciding to lose weight after being told they were too heavy because of their BMI could actually damage their health.
Reducing the amount of food consumed lowers weight, but also lowers the amount of lean tissue, which has been linked to an increased chance of premature death.
Katherine Flegal, an epidemiologist from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who led the team behind the controversial study, said: “Although people think there’s all this evidence out there showing a high mortality risk associated with being overweight, in fact the literature doesn’t show it.”
A previous CDC study said overweight and obesity caused 325,000 premature deaths a year in the US, but Ms Flegal’s study found that while obesity was the cause of 112,000 early deaths, there were 86,000 fewer deaths a year among those who were overweight compared with those who were “normal” weight.
In Britain, nearly two-thirds of the population are considered to be overweight and about a quarter are obese The NHS Direct website includes a page where people can enter their height and weight and then be given a BMI rating and told whether they are overweight or obese.
But Stanton Glantz, a professor of medicine at California University whose BMI makes him nearly obese, said: “If correct, all these worries about a huge fraction of the population being overweight just go out the window. It’s not a trivial problem, but the focus should now be on the severely overweight. The current definition of overweight is not like the speed of light or pi. What was considered as the normal, desirable weight is too low.
“I just got back from a 350-mile bike trip all over the south-west of the US. I lost no weight whatsoever. I was eating like a pig I was so hungry all the time.”
Researchers in Denmark and Finland found people who lose weight by eating less food were more likely to die.
The theory is that dieting results in a decrease in the amount of lean body tissue as well as fat and that this is damaging to health, although the reasons why this appears to happen remains unclear. Losing weight through exercise avoids this problem as it preserves or increases the amount of lean mass.
Dr David Haslam, the chairman of the National Obesity Forum, told The Scotsman that while BMI was useful for population studies, it was “flawed to say the least” when assessing individuals.
“The best way is to get a tape measure and measure your waist halfway between the crest of the hip and the lower rib at the side,” he said.
Men with waists of more than 112cm or 40 inches and women with waists of 88cm or 35 inches are considered to be too fat for their health. These figures can be lower for some ethnic minorities, particularly people from south-east Asia.
Dr Haslam said: “If you’ve got a low waist size but a high BMI you’re probably not at increased risk, so it would be foolish to diet. But there are many confounding factors. What people should not take from this is that having extra fat on the abdomen is a good thing. It’s not.”
How to work it out
TO FIND out your BMI, multiply your height in metres by itself and then divide your weight in kilograms by the resulting figure.
According to the NHS 24/NHS Direct website, if you have a BMI of less than 18.4 you are underweight and between 18.5 and 24.9 you are an ideal weight.
Between 25 and 29.9 you are overweight, between 30 and 39.9 you are obese and over 40 you are very obese.
Source: news.scotsman.com
November 24th, 2005
LEVELS of salt in bread could be cut by 5 per cent over the next two years, under proposals from the Federation of Bakers.
It wants to set a maximum salt “ceiling” above which products would not be made. It also wants labels on bread packaging to list salt content per slice and per 100g.
The federation has submitted its proposals to the Food Standards Agency, which has launched a fresh drive to publicise its message that 6g of salt a day should be the maximum.
The bakers’ group, whose members supply some 80 per cent of UK bread, said salt levels had already been cut by about a quarter in the past 20 years.
Source: news.scotsman.com
November 24th, 2005
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