A flavonoid derived from citrus fruit has shown promise for preventing weight gain and other signs of metabolic syndrome which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Archive for category Nutrition and obesity
Scientists at the University of Mainz have discovered a close correlation between over-indebtedness and obesity. The authors attribute this to the high cost of a healthy diet, lack of awareness of the availability of cheaper but nonetheless wholesome foods, but most particularly to the psychological and social stress experienced by over-indebted individuals. The result of this stress is that they tend to “comfort eat” and become less physically active.
The U.S. Food Stamp Program may help contribute to obesity among its users, according to a new nationwide study that followed participants for 14 years. Researchers found that the average user of food stamps had a Body Mass Index (BMI) 1.15 points higher than non-users. The link between food stamps and higher weight was almost entirely based on women users, who averaged 1.24 points higher BMI than those not in the program, the study found.
Read more. This study was discussed on fooducate.com.
Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital developed Snackwise®. It’s a research-based snack rating system that calculates Nutrient Density in snack foods. Snackwise® is designed for use by any organization or individual interested in making healthier snack choices. It based on the content of 10 nutrients + energy.
Visit snackwise.org. A list of healthy snacks on the US market.
The “Smart Choices” front of package food labeling scheme officially launches this week. 500 Packaged foods from ConAgra, General Mills, Kellogg’s, Kraft, PepsiCo, Sun-Maid, Tyson and Unilever are already approved. On fooducator.com you can find arguments why this kind of food labelling is far form being the best food labelling.
For children, it may take several repetitions (10 or more) to have a child try a new food, but parents should retreat gracefully and try again another day rather than get into a battle of wills when the child refuses a food”.
Parents can increase the odds of getting a child to try a new food by having the child see them enjoying the food and having the child help prepare the unfamiliar food. “If the child is in the kitchen cooking with Mom or Dad, it’s unlikely that he/she will refuse the food that they’ve helped prepare.”
In a 2006 study, Columbia University Medical Center researchers showed that elderly New Yorkers whose eating habits most resemble the Mediterranean diet have about a 40% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease than do those with poor diets.
Researchers investigated the appropriateness of basing childhood obesity interventions on expectations of return on investment (ROI). This study show that excess weight is indeed associated with greater medical expenditures even among children and adolescents. However, under current best practices, it is unlikely that interventions will be able to meet the level of effectiveness required at a low enough implementation cost to show positive ROI.
RWJF just published a summary of the latest research about the potential effects of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes on consumer behavior and health.
Although there are many significant differences between tobacco and SSBs, the tobacco example provides a model for how taxes can be used to promote public health. Emerging studies suggest that small taxes on SSBs are unlikely to affect obesity rates, but they can generate revenue that states can invest in improving public health.
Enjoy reading this 6 page-report.
Never smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and following a healthy diet—together appear to be associated with as much as an 80 percent reduction in the risk of developing the most common and deadly chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarction, stroke, and cancer.