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Nutrition and Physical Activity Blog

Assessment of organizational readiness for health promotion policy implementation

Jun 5

Posted by Morten in Policy | Comments off

The current study attempted to model determinants of organizational readiness (goals, resources, obligation, opportunities) in supporting health policy implementation prospectively. Twenty qualitative interviews with representatives of organizations from different policy sectors, levels of government and organizational legal entities were conducted at the beginning of a project for the promotion of physical activity among women in difficult life situations. Organizational support in developing, implementing and disseminating the project was documented over 36 months.

Results indicated that in most organizations, determinants were not favorable for health promotion policy action for physical activity among women in difficult life situations. Six organizations did not report any favorable determinant, and two organizations reported four. The other 12 organizations reported positive results for some of the determinants. Project work received support from 6 out of the 20 organizations. A case study of three organizations indicated that engagement or disengagement of organizations in health promotion policy actions might be partly explained by the theoretical model. The prospective assessment of organizational readiness in implementing health promotion policy is highly relevant for health promotion. Considering the proposed theoretical framework may aid in advancing our understanding of factors that are related to organizational engagement in health promotion actions.

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Objectively measured physical activity of U.S. adults

Jun 5

Posted by Morten in Physical Activity | Comments off

For the first time objective physical activity data are available on a nationally representative sample of U.S. residents.

Physical activity levels measured objectively by accelerometer demonstrated that Hispanic men are, in general, more active than their white and black counterparts. This appears to be in contrast to self-reported physical activity previously reported in the literature and identifies the need to use objective measures in situations where the contribution of light intensity and/or unstructured physical activity cannot be assumed homogenous across the populations of interest.

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Stair Design and Obesity: The Need for a Change

Jun 5

Posted by Morten in Environment | Comments off

Some simple changes in the design and location of staircases could help to make buildings more “physical activity friendly” and contribute to the fight against obesity, according to a new article in the Southern Medical Journal.

Changing stair design to encourage their use requires a set of interventions on both architectural and legislative levels to create physical environments that support active living.

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Active kids appear to be happier

Jun 5

Posted by Morten in Playgrounds | Comments off

Canadian researcher Mark Holder and colleagues asked 375 children, ages 8-12, about what they did for fun, paying special attention to the amount of time the kids said they spent in “active” leisure activities—physical activities such as sports and exercise—or “passive” activities, such as sitting at a screen or talking on the phone.

Holder found that the more kids engaged in active leisure, and the more important active leisure was to them, the happier they were and the more positive they felt about themselves.

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Functional foods are about marketing, not health

Jun 5

Posted by Morten in Food marketing | Comments off

Nutrition professor Marion Nestlé made new comments on Functional foods like adding fibers to Kellogg Froot Loops as a public service to improve kids’ nutrition. And Unilevers calcium-enriched ice cream.

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Promoting physical activity during school breaks

Jun 4

Posted by Morten in Playgrounds | Comments off

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of two interventions on children’s physical activity during the 20-min school break. Children from three schools participated in this study. In the first intervention school (89 kids) the school’s courts were allocated to different children on alternate days of the week, playground markings were painted in the school’s yard and jump ropes were provided. In the second intervention school (89 kids) the school’s courts were just allocated to different children on alternate days of the week. The third school served as the control group (69 kids). Physical activity was measured with a pedometer during. A significant time by group interaction indicated a change in break-time activity. Four weeks after the intervention, mean steps in the first (1427+/-499) and second (1331+/-651) intervention schools were significantly higher than steps in the control school (1053+/-447).

Implementing simple, low-cost interventions during break periods could help increase children’s activity.

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Soda is the next tobacco

Jun 4

Posted by Morten in Food marketing, Policy | Comments off

“I believe soda is the next tobacco,” said Barry Popkin, director of the University of North Carolina’s Interdisciplinary Obesity Center and author of The World is Fat, published this year. Soda drinkers haven’t achieved pariah status like smokers before them, but proposed sugar taxes and social pressure to be healthy can put a damper on drinking softdrinks — and even some in the growing ranks of diet pop drinkers are feeling soda shame.

According to Popkin, Americans are consuming up to 300 more calories per day now than they were 25 to 30 years ago, and two-thirds of that increase is from caloric beverages like soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit juice and milk. While milk has important vitamins and minerals, the sugary beverages “have no health benefits,” Popkin said. And studies show people who drink caloric beverages don’t compensate by cutting out other food, so the calories add up, he said.

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Want to Stop Cancer? You Can, Experts Say

Jun 4

Posted by Morten in Nutrition and obesity, Physical Activity | Comments off

Between 27 and 49 percent of people think preventing cancer is impossible or highly unlikely, said Karen Collins, a registered dietitian and a nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research.

But, she said, the institute has identified three steps people could take to dramatically affect the chances of developing cancer:

* Eat a mostly plant-based diet.

* Maintain a healthy weight.

* Exercise regularly.

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Confusion reigns over whole-grain claims in school lunches

Jun 2

Posted by Morten in School nutrition, Whole grains | Comments off

While most nutrition experts agree that school lunches should include more whole-grain products, a new study from the University of Minnesota finds that food-service workers lack understanding and the resources to meet that goal.

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Science Daily also covered this story. Read more.

Low vitamin D levels may impair thinking

Jun 2

Posted by Morten in Nutrition and obesity | Comments off

New research suggests that low vitamin D levels in the body are associated with thinking or “cognitive” impairments in older men, but whether vitamin D supplements can help is not yet known.

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