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)

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...

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)

Weight Control Strategies of Overweight Adolescents Who Successfully Lost Weight
Abstract: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the differences in weight control behaviors, dietary intake, and physical activity between overweight adolescents who lost weight and overweight adolescents who did not lose weight. This cross-sectional study compared 62 overweight adolescents who lost weight in the past with 68 overweight adolescents who did not lose weight. Youth responded to questions regarding weight control behaviors during the past year, physical activity, sedentary activity, and dietary intake. Results showed that adolescents who lost weight were more likely to report using healthful weight control behaviors such as drinking less soda and increasing their exercise level, self-weighing, consuming diets higher in protein, and spending less time watching televis...

Special Edition: Foods That Help You Focus
So this time around, skip the instant noodles "salt bombs", the sugar-laden candy bars and soda, and check out our picks for healthy foods that can help you (and your kids) focus. Click to read now. (Source: HealthCastle.com Nutrition Tips - written by Registered Dietitians)

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Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and the progression of chronic kidney disease in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
CONCLUSION: A higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was not associated with disease progression, on the basis of either eGFR or the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, in MESA participants with preexistent CKD. PMID: 19740973 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

Influence of environmental factors on food intake and choice of beverage during meals in teenagers: a laboratory study.
The objectives of the present study were to measure the lunch intake of food and drinks under controlled laboratory settings in teenagers and to compare the influence of different meal conditions. Normal-weight adolescents (fourteen males and fifteen females) participated in four standardised lunches, scheduled 1 week apart. The same popular items (meat dish, dessert, water, juice, soda) were served at all meals. Ad libitum intake was measured under four conditions: subjects ate alone; in groups; alone while viewing television; alone while listening to music. Visual analogue scales were used to assess pre- and post-meal hunger and thirst and meal palatability. Energy, solid food and fluid intake was different (significantly lower) only in the 'eating in group' condition, in spite of identi...

When, how much and what foods are eaten are related to total daily food intake.
Authors: de Castro JM Intake in the morning is associated with a reduction in the total intake for the day, while intake at night is associated with greater overall daily intake. These associations are macronutrient specific, with morning carbohydrate intake associated with reduced daily carbohydrate intake, morning fat intake associated with reduced daily fat intake and morning protein intake associated with reduced daily protein intake. Since different types of foods contain differing proportions of macronutrients, the present study investigated the associations of different types of foods ingested at various times of day with total daily and macronutrient intakes. The intakes of 388 male and 621 female free-living individuals reported in 7 d diet diaries were reanalysed. The intakes...

The lighter side of binge foods
Ladies Night Out. How long does it take six women, late 40s to mid-60s, to start talking about food? Not the food on the menu or on the plate - but the foods that aren't even there. We sit down and the first topic is, "What are your favorite binge foods?" It's a little like, "Who is your favorite Beatle?" That is, fun! We divide into three camps: chocolate, ice cream, and crunchy-salty-sweet. That's my camp. I just had a birthday, and my husband brought home a pound-and-a-half box of See's peanut brittle, which I have loved since childhood and am powerless to stop eating. Once a year, at most, I relive the rush. I have a system. The box goes immediately into the freezer in the garage, out of sight, behind the Trader Joe's pizza boxes. On a hot night in July, I could imagine standing in fro...

July 2009 Research Behind the News
This study by no means suggests that patients with recurrent kidney stones should trade in their water bottles for soda cans,” said Anthony Y. Smith, MD, an AUA spokesman in a news release. “However, this study suggests instead that patients with stone disease who do not drink soda may benefit from moderate consumption.” (Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association)

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Risk Of Forming Kidney Stones May Be Reduced By Drinking Diet Soda
Patients with stone disease could benefit from drinking diet soda. New research from the University of California, San Francisco suggests that the citrate and malate content in commonly consumed sodas may be sufficient to inhibit the development of calcium stones. The study was presented at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA). Increased alkalinity is proven to augment citraturia, a known factor for calcium stones. (Source: Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today)

Development and evaluation of a brief screener to estimate fast-food and beverage consumption among adolescents.
The objective of this research was to examine reliability and validity of a 22-item dietary screener assessing adolescent consumption of specific energy-containing and non-energy-containing beverages (nine items) and fast food (13 items). The screener was administered to adolescents (ages 11 to 18 years) recruited from the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, metro region. One sample of adolescents completed test-retest reliability of the screener (n=33, primarily white adolescents). Another adolescent sample completed the screener along with three 24-hour dietary recalls to assess criterion validity (n=59 white adolescents). Test-retest assessments were completed approximately 7 to 14 days apart, and agreement between the two administrations of the screener was substantial, with most items yielding S...

Development and Evaluation of a Brief Screener to Estimate Fast-Food and Beverage Consumption among Adolescents
The objective of this research was to examine reliability and validity of a 22-item dietary screener assessing adolescent consumption of specific energy-containing and non–energy-containing beverages (nine items) and fast food (13 items). The screener was administered to adolescents (ages 11 to 18 years) recruited from the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, metro region. One sample of adolescents completed test–retest reliability of the screener (n=33, primarily white adolescents). Another adolescent sample completed the screener along with three 24-hour dietary recalls to assess criterion validity (n=59 white adolescents). Test–retest assessments were completed approximately 7 to 14 days apart, and agreement between the two administrations of the screener was substantial, with most items yiel...

Sugary Drinks Are Bad For Your Heart
Regular consumption of sugary beverages such as soda put women at a higher risk for coronary heart disease. This data is part of a new study led by Simmons College Nutrition Professor Teresa Fung. Published in the April edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study found a significant positive association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and risk of coronary heart disease. (Source: Nutrition/Agriculture News From Medical News Today)