The Trust for America’s Health has released a new report, F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011 which finds that adult obesity is increasing across the Nation. Louisiana is the 5th most obese state with 31.6% of its adult population being obese; we are one of the 16 states with an obesity rate above 30%.
1943 USDA nutrition chart
2011 USDA's MyPlate
With the reveal of the new food plate from the USDA, nutrition has been in the news lately. An article on NPR’s Morning Edition recently discussed “Washington’s long tradition of trying to guide the American diet”. From turn of the century agricultural expeditions to “the Poison Squad”, a group of young volunteers who explored the effects of contaminated food in the basement of the Department of Agriculture, this report chronicles the relationship of government and nutrition.
If you’re in DC this year, a new exhibit, “What’s cooking, Uncle Sam? The Government’s Effect on the American Diet” at the National Archives details America’s food history.
Adding color to your day is always a good idea; after all colors can brighten a room, lift your mood, and apparently improve your nutritional health.
The month of March is National Nutrition Month sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. The theme for this year is ÔÇ£Eat Right With Color,ÔÇØ encouraging everyone to add a burst of color to their plate with vegetables and fruits.
Find out easy ways to improve your daily eating habits at http://www.eatright.org/nnm/
On January 31st, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released and their main focus is to emphasize that reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity will lead to better health. Currently, more than two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese and ultimately the new guidelines will help to prevent diet-related chronic disease. Tips that are emphasized to incorporate in our everyday lives are:
Be on the lookout for more consumer-friendly tools and advice which will be released within the next few months.
For more information please visit:
www.dietaryguidelines.gov
www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines
www.healthfinder.gov/prevention
www.mypyramid.gov
Last week, the US Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin released a Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. This call to action was aimed at families, communities, employers and health care professionals to improve breastfeeding rates and increase support for breastfeeding. Download the complete report and the fact sheet.
Liwei Chen, an LSUHSC School of Public Health faculty member is making news (WebMD, NPR, UPI, Reuters, and HealthDay News) because of her study on the connection between sugary drinks and blood pressure. The study (pdf) is in the “publish ahead of print” section of Circulation. The study was released as a EurekAlert by LSUHSC Information Services.
Link to the pdf of the article is available to LSUHSC faculty, staff & students. It can be accessed off-campus with a valid LSUHSC library barcode & PIN. You can find more information at our remote access webpage.
A new study published in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior finds that high fructose corn syrup leads to abnormal increases in body fat, at least in rats, when compared to regular table sugar.
Link to the pdf of the article is available to LSUHSC faculty staff & students. It can be accessed off-campus with a valid LSUHSC library barcode & PIN. You can find more information at our remote access webpage.
July 21st is National Junk Food Day, but try not to go wild. According to the CDC, Louisiana went from having under 15% obesity rate in 1990 to a rate of 25-29% in 2008. If you’re going to celebrate today, just try to be smart and eat healthy the rest of the week.
On this date in 1747, a Scottish Naval physician began the testing that uncovered the cause of scurvy and lead to its cure. So go eat an orange today, in honor of Dr. James Lind.
April is indeed a busy month, adding?é?áAlcohol Awareness Month?é?áto the list?é?áof health observences.
Drinking one glass of wine per day has been clinically proven to provide health benefits. But what are the risks of drinking more than one glass on the weekend?
Brush up on facts about alcohol to help keep you and your loved ones safe.
Also, learn where Louisiana stands in drunk driving statistics.
Every March the American Dietetic Association sponsors National Nutrition Month. One fun feature of their website is a fad diet timeline; I don’t think I would have wanted to try Lord Byron‘s vinegar & water diet (1820) or the sleeping beauty diet (1976) which featured heavy sedation for several days.
The FDA has a website that lists all the peanut containing products that have been recalled by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Some PCA peanut products have been linked to the Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm
And good for you? According to a story released yesterday by Reuters Health, dark chocolate font size=”-1″>(link removed) may keep your healthy. The original research appeared in Journal of Nutrition, v.138 (9) 1671-76 September 2008. Just what I need an excuse to indulge my love of chocolate.
Every day, children ages eight to 18 spend more than six hours watching TV, playing video games or using the computer for recreational purposes. The more time youth spend in front of the screen, the more likely they are to be overweight.
Turnoff Week (April 21-27) is a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness about the effects of too much screen time. Sponsored by the NHLBI We Can! program, they offer helpful activities to reduce screen time.
Click here to see current literature on television’s effect on obesity in the US from PubMed.
No, I’m not talking about the Wii. This summer Nintendo will introduce a new program for the DS system. My Weight Loss Coach comes with a pedometer, mini quizzes and challenges designed to motivate and reward users for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
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