Beverage consumption and anthropometric outcomes among schoolchildren in Guatemala
This study is based on measurements taken from 356 third- and fourth-grade pupils from the highland city of Quetzaltenango. Height, weight and body mass index were assessed, and one day's intake of all foods and beverages using a pictorial workbook and dietician assisted recall. Mean differences in beverage consumption were compared for private vs. public school children and by anthropometric outcomes (stunting, overweight and obesity). Plain water was consumed by 30.9% of the children on the day intakes were measured, with higher proportions of water drinkers among private school children. Children having reported water intake on that day consumed 154 fewer kcal ([minus]7.7%) compared with the energy intake of children not having reported water intake (P = 0.02). Significantly more childr... |
Economic Scene: Why a Soda Tax Makes Sense for Washington
Sugary drinks cost much less than they used to and Americans drink more of them, raising costs for society as it copes with the obesity epidemic. (Source: NYT) |
Eating Mindfully for Earth Day: 9 Simple Tips
Happy earth day! Today, we celebrate all the earth gives us. Therefore, there is no better time to recognize one of the most important things the earth provides- wonderful food. The real challenge is eating it mindfully. How can we make it a mindful eating day? Here are a simple few tips.
1) Drink water mindfully! Drinking water prevents dehydration and helps you to feel fuller. Thirst can often be mistaken for hunger. Go for a glass of refreshing H2O rather than bottled water today.
2) Check out the Eating Green Calculator to see how your diet impacts the environment.
3) If you are at a buffet or office cafeteria, skip the tray. Washing tray... |
Research Roundup: Soda Taxes, Health Reform Timeline, Children's Health Disparities, Best Hospital Practices
Health Affairs: Soda Taxes, Soft Drink Consumption, And Children's Body Mass Index - "Using data on state sales taxes for soda and individual-level data on children," the authors report existing taxes on soda fail to "substantially affect overall levels of soda consumption or obesity rates... (Source: Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today) |
Curbing Consumption Of Soda By Children Requires More Than Small Soda Taxes
Small sales taxes on soft drinks in the range currently in force in some states are insufficient to reduce consumption of soda or curb obesity among children, according to a new RAND Corporation study... (Source: Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today) |
Girls' Early Sweetened Carbonated Beverage Intake Predicts Different Patterns of Beverage and Nutrient Intake across Childhood and Adolescence
Conclusions: Soda consumption at age 5 years predicted patterns of nutrient intake that persisted during childhood and into adolescence. Diets of soda consumers were higher in added sugars and lower in protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. Findings provide a more complex picture regarding the emergence of early beverage patterns and their predictive effects on nutrient intake across childhood and adolescence. (Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association) |
Vital Signs: Study Links Soda Price Increases to Better Health
Research found that when the price of a two-liter bottle went up, people consumed less, which was associated with a drop in weight and a lower risk for pre-diabetes. (Source: NYT) |
Exposure to soda commercials affects sugar-sweetened soda consumption in young women: An observational experimental study.
Authors: Koordeman R, Anschutz DJ, van Baaren RB, Engels RC
The present study examines the direct effects of television commercials advertising soda on actual sugar-sweetened soda consumption among young women. An experimental-observational study design was used, in which 51 female students (ages 18-29) were exposed to a 35-min movie clip, interrupted by two commercial breaks consisting of soda or water commercials. Their actual soda consumption while watching the movie clip was examined. An analysis of variance was used to examine the effects of commercial condition on soda consumption. Thirst and first glass consumed before the first commercial break were added as covariates in the analyses. Results indicated that participants assigned to the condition with soda commercials consumed ... |
Encouraging Healthier Eating Habits By Taxing Unhealthy Foods
Recently, the Obama administration called for a total ban on candy and soda in the nation's schools. States are beginning to impose "sin taxes" on fat and sugar to dissuade people from eating junk food. Pricing strategies may well be a key to changing behavior, but others favor subsidies over punitive taxes, as a way to encourage people to eat fruits and vegetables and whole grains... (Source: Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today) |
The French Paradox Part 2
"How do the French teach their children to eat well?"The French Paradox is a question that research scientists have been puzzling over for 15 years. Why are the French able to eat more fat than Americans and yet have a lower incidence of heart disease and extra, unhealthy pounds? Research on this question has led to some interesting comparisons. My favorite is the difference between what French and American children eat for lunch at their schools.<!--break-->It shows how we train our children to eat high-calorie, low-nutrient "junk food" from an early age, while across the ocean the French are teaching their children to develop their palates by enjoying a variety of fresh, nutritious, organic foods.Here are some examples from school lunch menus on the same day in small cities in each... |
Is Soda the New Tobacco?
Can a soda tax and warning labels help dam the river of sugared drinks Americans pour into ever-fatter bodies each year? (Source: NYT) |
Soda: A Sin We Sip Instead of Smoke?
Can a soda tax and warning labels help dam the river of sugared drinks Americans pour into ever-fatter bodies each year? (Source: NYT) |
Carbohydrate intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in high BMI African American children
The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between intakes of subgroups of energy-providing carbohydrate, and markers of cardiometabolic risk factors in high BMI African American (AA) children.A cross sectional analysis was performed on data from a sample of 9-11 year old children (n=95) with BMI greater than the 85th percentile. Fasting hematological and biochemical values for selected markers of cardiometabolic risk factors were related to intakes of carbohydrates and sugars.After adjusting for gender, pubertal stage and waist circumference, multivariate regression analysis showed that higher intakes of carbohydrate (with fat and protein held constant) were associated with higher plasma concentrations of triglycerides (TG), VLDL-C, IDL-C, and worse insulin resistance (homeost... |
Food Serving Size Knowledge in African American Women and the Relationship with Body Mass Index
Conclusions and Implications: African American women overestimated the serving sizes for 7 of the food items tested, and 4 of the estimates were correlated with BMI. Education regarding serving size is recommended for certain food items. (Source: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior) |
Discretionary food fortification: implications of consumer attitudes.
Conclusions: Our findings reveal that fortifying foods, particularly those of poor nutritional quality, could lead to increased consumption of these foods among children, teens, and adults. Potentially, this could have a negative impact on eating habits and, in turn, could exacerbate the current nutrition-related health issues that Canadians face. 70(4):199.
PMID: 19958576 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research) |
