Review Finds Weight-Loss Surgery Safe and Effective

A new review finds that weight-loss surgery helps very obese patients drop pounds and improve their overall health, even if there is some risk for complications.

"We've gotten good at doing this," said Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of weight-loss surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Bariatric surgery has become one of the safest intra-abdominal major procedures."

"The question is why we don't start facing the facts," said Roslin, who was not involved in the new review. "If the data were this good with any other condition, the standard of care for morbid obesity would be surgery."

Roslin said he thinks a bias against obesity tinges the way people look at weight-loss surgery.

"People don't view obesity as a disease, and blame the victim," he said. "We have this ridiculous notion that the next diet is going to be effective -- although there has never been an effective diet for people who are severely obese."

Morbid obesity is a chronic condition that is practically irreversible and needs to be treated aggressively, Roslin said. "The only treatment that's effective is surgery," he said.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143552.html

5 Ways to Stretch Your Dollar at the Grocery Store

Stay within your grocery budget while feeding your family right with these five tips.

1. Buy in bulk when items go on sale. Browse your grocery aisles for sale items and stock up on foods you can store in the pantry and freezer. Load your cart with non-perishables such as canned and bottled goods, dried beans and peas, whole-grain pastas, crackers and cereals, brown rice, tomato sauces and nut butters. Plan to fill your freezer with frozen fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and poultry. If you're thinking of bulk buying perishables that are on sale, such as fresh produce, dairy products or raw beef, chicken and seafood, "Check the expiration date and if you don’t think your family can realistically consume that food before then, or you don’t have the freezer space to store it, give it a pass," says Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RDN, LD, CDE, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
2. Try canned and frozen products. Canned and frozen foods can be less expensive than fresh. They’re great to have on hand when you run out of food in your refrigerator. Don’t worry about compromising on nutrition; fruits and vegetables are canned or frozen at their peak of nutrition and quality. Do watch out for high sodium content in canned goods. Dobbins suggests looking for brands with “no salt added” or that are listed as having “reduced sodium.” Canned food is safe as long as the container isn’t swollen, damaged, rusted or dented. Although many canned foods are coded with "use by" dates, you should rotate your supply at least every other year.
3. Use a slow cooker. This handy piece of kitchen equipment uses a moist heat method of cooking which helps tenderize less expensive but tougher cuts of meat. Dobbins says you can stretch that meat dollar further by adding frozen vegetables or beans to your slow cooker recipes. Meals from a slow cooker are hearty and filling, and they make the house smell good.
4. Cook meals in large batches then freeze for later. "I always double or triple a recipe so I don’t have to cook again during the week," says Dobbins. Batch cook and freeze meals over the weekend when you have more time. On weekdays all you have to do is take a meal out of the freezer and simply reheat. You can also use leftovers from a roast or chicken to make a stir fry, tacos or soup other days of the week. The more meals you make at home instead of going out, the more money you save.
5. Take advantage of store loyalty cards, store brands, coupons and in-store specials. If you haven’t signed up yet for your grocery store’s loyalty card, do it now. Often sale prices are only valid with the loyalty card and you could miss out on big savings. Consider purchasing the store brand version of packaged foods — they are usually a better buy than commercially branded items. Scan your newspaper and weekly store circulars for sales and coupons of items you regularly purchase. Also, try company websites for coupons. Check for in-store deals like "manager’s specials" of day-old baked goods or foods close to their expiration date.

- See more at: http://www.eatright.org/kids/article.aspx?id=6442476681#sthash.XV0KL3Cg.dpuf

Modest weight loss may reduce heart disease, diabetes risks in middle-aged women

 Modest weight loss over 2 years in overweight or obese, middle-aged women may reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

In a study of 417 women participating in weight loss programs for up to 24 months, those who sustained a 10 percent or more loss of their body weight for two years reduced their total cholesterol, LDL “bad” cholesterol, HDL “good” cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, glucose and inflammation markers. Women who had the highest levels of risk at the start of the study benefitted the most from modest weight loss.

“It is challenging to lose weight, but if women commit to losing 10 percent of their body weight and sustain that over time, it can have a large impact on overall risk factors associated with heart disease and diabetes,” said Cynthia A. Thomson, Ph.D., R.D., co-author and Professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and Director of the University of Arizona Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention & Health Promotion in Tucson.

The women, an average 44 years old and weighing nearly 200 pounds at the start of the study, were recruited within the communities of the University of California, San Diego; University of Minnesota; University of Arizona; and Kaiser Permanente Center Northwest in Portland, Ore.  http://newsroom.heart.org/news/modest-weight-loss-may-reduce-heart-disease-diabetes-risks-in-middle-aged-women

Tips for Safe Winter Workouts

 If you exercise outdoors during the winter, be sure to do so safely, an expert says.

The major concern for people who exercise in the cold is hypothermia, or too much heat loss, according to Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise.

He offered the following tips:

• Dress in layers. This will give allow you to change the amount of insulation that you need during your workout.
• Cover your head. Your body loses about 50 percent of its heat if your head is uncovered at the freezing mark. Wearing a helmet or hat keeps that heat in and means you can stay outside much longer.
• Wear gloves. In cold weather, your blood moves from your hands to the center of your body to keep your internal organs warm and protected. Wearing gloves will keep blood flowing to your hands and prevent cold-related tissue damage.
• Always check the air temperature and wind chill before heading outdoors to exercise and dress appropriately. You're in danger if you have exposed skin when the wind chill (a combined effect of temperature and wind) falls below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143667.html

Exercise Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Risk in Black Women

Vigorous exercise on a regular basis might help protect black women against an aggressive form of breast cancer, researchers have found.

The new study included nearly 45,000 black women, aged 30 and older, who were followed for nearly 20 years. Those who engaged in vigorous exercise for a lifetime average of three or more hours a week were 47 percent less likely to develop so-called estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer compared with those who exercised an average of one hour per week, the investigators found.

This type of breast cancer, which includes HER2-positive and triple-negative tumors, is linked to both higher incidence and death risk in black women, compared to white women. These estrogen receptor-negative tumors do not respond to the types of hormone therapies used to treat tumors that have the estrogen receptor, the researchers said in a Georgetown University Medical Center news release.

No level of exercise affected the women's risk for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, according to the study findings, which were presented Wednesday at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143378.html

Researchers Investigate If Peanuts During Pregnancy Curb Nut Allergies in Offspring

Could a peanut-heavy diet for pregnant women help keep their children from suffering dangerous nut allergies? Researchers are investigating the possibility in a new study.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, the study found that when pregnant women ate more peanuts and tree nuts they tended to have children with fewer nut allergies.

Peanut allergies in children have gone up from 0.4 percent in 1997 to 1.4 percent in 2010, according to the study.

Researchers examined more than 8,000 children and their mothers to understand how diet during pregnancy might affect allergies in children. The researchers initially questioned the mothers about their diet either when they were pregnant or shortly after in the early 1990’s. In 2009, they questioned their children to see who had developed allergies.  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/peanut-heavy-diet-pregnancy-curb-nut-allergies/story?id=21314346

FDA Introduces New Food Defense Rule

 A new rule to protect the nation's food supply from terrorism has been introduced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency announced Friday.

The proposed rule would require the largest food businesses in the United States and in other nations to take steps to protect facilities from attempts to contaminate the food supply.

The FDA said it does not know of any cases where the food supply was intentionally tainted with the aim of inflicting widespread harm, and added that such events are unlikely to occur. However, the new rule is a preventive measure that would help ensure the safety of the food supply.  http://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/food-and-drug-administration-news-315/breaking-brief-12-20-new-food-defense-rule-fda-release-683275.html

Light Exercise Might Reduce Risk of Kidney Stones

Just a little exercise each week -- jogging for an hour or walking for about three hours -- can reduce the risk of developing kidney stones by up to 31 percent, according to a new study.

Researchers looking at data on more than 84,000 postmenopausal women found that engaging in any type of light physical activity can help prevent the formation of these pebbles in the kidneys. Even light gardening might curb their development, according to the study, which was published recently in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

"Even small amounts of exercise may decrease the risk of kidney stones," said study author Dr. Mathew Sorensen, of the University of Washington School of Medicine. "It does not need to be marathons, as the intensity of the exercise does not seem to matter."  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143419.html

Higher blood pressure threshold OK in older adults

Many older adults with high blood pressure can be treated less aggressively, which could mean taking fewer pills to get it under control, according to new treatment guidelines from an expert panel. But not all experts are on board with the advice — including the federal agency that appointed the group.

Panel members stressed that they are not changing the definition of high blood pressure: 140 over 90. For adults aged 60 and older, they are recommending a higher treatment threshold, prescribing medicine only when blood pressure levels reach 150 over 90 or higher.

Too aggressive blood pressure treatment can cause fainting and falls in older patients, or bad interactions with drugs they're already taking for other illnesses, panel members said.

The panel does endorse the lower target of 140 over 90 for younger adults — and for all adults who also have diabetes or kidney disease.  http://news.yahoo.com/higher-blood-pressure-threshold-ok-older-adults-141027508.html

Working Out May Help Counteract Holiday Eating

Stuffing yourself with too many holiday goodies? Exercising daily might reduce the harmful effects to your health, according to a small new study.

Previous research has shown that even a few days of consuming far more calories than you burn can damage your health.

The new study included 26 healthy young men who were asked to overeat and who either were inactive or exercised on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day. Daily calorie intake increased by 50 percent in the inactive group and by 75 percent in the exercise group. That meant they had the same net daily calorie surplus, said the researchers at the University of Bath, in England.

After just one week of overeating, all the participants had a significant decline in blood sugar control. Not only that, their fat cells activated genes that result in unhealthy changes to metabolism and that disrupt nutritional balance.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143451.html

Ear Acupuncture May Hold Promise for Weight Loss

Placing five acupuncture needles in the outer ear may help people lose that spare tire, researchers report.

Ear acupuncture therapy is based on the theory that the outer ear represents all parts of the body. One type uses one needle inserted into the area that is linked to hunger and appetite, while the other involves inserting five needles at different key points in the ear.

"If the trend we found is supported by other studies, the hunger acupuncture point is a good choice in terms of convenience. However, for patients suffering from central obesity, continuous stimulation of five acupuncture points should be used," said lead researcher Sabina Lim, from the department of meridian and acupuncture in the Graduate College of Basic Korean Medical Science at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea.

According to Lim, the effectiveness of acupuncture on obese patients is closely related to metabolic function. "Increased metabolic function promotes the consumption of body fat, overall, resulting in weight loss," she said.

The report was published online Dec. 16 in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143505.html

Typical Gum Disease Treatments Won't Help Ease Diabetes, Study Finds

Typical, nonsurgical treatment of gum disease in people with type 2 diabetes will not improve their blood-sugar control, a new study suggests.

There's long been a connection between gum disease and wider health issues, and experts say a prior study had offered some evidence that treatment of gum disease might enhance blood-sugar control in patients with diabetes.

Nearly half of Americans over age 30 are believed to have gum disease, and people with diabetes are at greater risk for the problem, the researchers said. Well-controlled diabetes is associated with less severe gum disease and a lower risk for progression of gum disease, according to background information in the study.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143508.html

Consumers often confused about types of sugar in drinks

 Many Americans don't know how much and what kinds of sugar are in their beverages, according to a new study. But people who are concerned about sugar tend to be better at avoiding it, researchers found.

The confusion is understandable. Regular soft drinks and many fruit juice beverages and sports drinks are sweetened with added sugars such as sucrose or high fructose corn syrup, while 100-percent fruit juices only contain natural sugars. Milk has natural sugar too, even though it isn't sweet. Diet soft drinks may taste sweet, but they don't contain any sugar.

"Some dietary recommendations call out 'sugary' beverages," lead researcher Gail Rampersaud told Reuters Health in an email. "We wanted to see how consumers were interpreting that term and whether they had a good understanding of the types of sugars or other sweeteners in commonly consumed beverages."  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143363.html

Gut Bacteria Shift Quickly After Changes in Diet, Study Shows

 If you were to switch from vegetarianism to meat-eating, or vice-versa, chances are the composition of your gut bacteria would also undergo a big change, a new study suggests.

The research, published Dec. 11 in the journal Nature, showed that the number and kinds of bacteria -- and even the way the bacteria behaved -- changed within a day of switching from a normal diet to eating either animal- or plant-based foods exclusively.

"Not only were there changes in the abundance of different bacteria, but there were changes in the kinds of genes that they were expressing and their activity," said study author Lawrence David, an assistant professor at the Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy at Duke University.

Trillions of bacteria live in each person's gut. They're thought to play a role in digestion, immunity and possibly even body weight.

The study suggests that this bacterial community and its genes -- called the microbiome -- are extraordinarily flexible and capable of responding swiftly to whatever is coming its way.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143343.html

Americans Still Eat Too Much Salt: CDC

Americans' love of salt has continued unabated in the 21st century, putting people at risk for high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, U.S. health officials said Thursday.

In 2010, more than 90 percent of U.S. teenagers and adults consumed more than the recommended levels of salt -- about the same number as in 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

"Salt intake in the U.S. has changed very little in the last decade," said CDC medical officer and report co-author Dr. Niu Tian.  http://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/centers-for-disease-control-news-120/americans-still-eating-too-much-salt-cdc-683236.html

Exercise as Potent Medicine

Exercise can be as effective as many frequently prescribed drugs in treating some of the leading causes of death, according to a new report. The study raises important questions about whether our health care system focuses too much on medications and too little on activity to combat physical ailments.

For the study, which was published in October in BMJ, researchers compared how well various drugs and exercise succeed in reducing deaths among people who have been diagnosed with several common and serious conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.

Comparative effectiveness studies are a staple of science, of course, especially in pharmaceutical research. Scientists often track how well one drug treats a condition compared with the outcome if they use a different drug. But few studies have directly compared drugs with exercise, and even fewer have compared outcomes in terms of mortality or whether the intervention significantly lessens the chance that someone with a disease will die from it, despite treatment.  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/exercise-as-potent-medicine/?_r=0

Fish oil sales don't reflect evidence

Recent research into the potential benefits of fish oil has been largely disappointing. But sales of the supplements have continued to rise, according to a new report.

"About 10 percent of U.S. adults use fish oils, most in the belief that they help heart health," study author Dr. Andrew Grey, from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, said.

He and colleague Dr. Mark Bolland looked at the results of 18 randomized controlled trials - the gold standard in medical research - and six analyses of past trials on fish oil published between 2005 and 2012.

The studies compared the risk of heart disease, cancer, thinking and memory problems and immune, digestive and respiratory conditions among people who were randomly assigned to take fish oil or not.

The researchers also searched for news reports generated by the studies within two weeks of publication. They ranked how favorably the media covered each study on a scale from 1 (very negative toward fish oil) to 5 (very positive).

Only two studies identified a benefit from fish oil. But most media coverage of the studies was very positive, Grey and Bolland wrote Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143491.html

Kids' Movies Deliver Mixed Messages on Eating, Obesity

Popular children's movies, from "Kung Fu Panda" to "Shrek the Third," contain mixed messages about eating habits and obesity, a new study says.

Many of these animated and live-action movies are guilty of "glamorizing" unhealthy eating and inactivity, while at the same time condemning obesity, according to study corresponding author Dr. Eliana Perrin, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

She and her colleagues analyzed 20 top-grossing G- and PG-rated movies from 2006 to 2010. Clips from each movie were examined for their depictions of eating, physical activity and obesity.

The findings show that many popular children's movies "present a mixed message to children: promoting unhealthy behaviors while stigmatizing the behaviors' possible effects," the researchers said.  http://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/adolescents-and-teen-health-news-719/kids-movies-deliver-mixed-messages-on-eating-obesity-682923.html

Experts: Don't Waste Your Money on Multivitamins

With three new studies finding that a daily multivitamin won't help boost the average American's health, the experts behind the research are urging people to abandon use of the supplements.

The studies found that popping a daily multivitamin didn't ward off heart problems or memory loss, and wasn't tied to a longer life span.

The studies, published in the Dec. 17 issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, found that multivitamin and mineral supplements did not work any better than placebo pills.

Dietary supplements are a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States, and multivitamins account for nearly half of all vitamin sales, according to the U.S. Office of Dietary Supplements.

But a growing body of evidence suggests that multivitamins offer little or nothing in the way of health benefits, and some studies suggest that high doses of certain vitamins might cause harm.

As a result, the authors behind the new research said it's time for most people to stop taking them.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143473.html

Bad Night's Sleep May Raise Blood Pressure in Kids

Kids who don't get enough sleep at night may experience a slight spike in their blood pressure the next day even if they are not overweight or obese, a new study suggests.

The research included 143 kids aged 10 to 18 who spent one night in a sleep lab for observation. They also wore a 24-hour blood pressure monitor and kept a seven-day sleep diary.

The participants were all normal weight. None had significant sleep apnea -- a condition characterized by disrupted breathing during sleep. The sleep disorder has been linked to high blood pressure.

According to the findings, just one less hour of sleep per night led to an increase of 2 millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg) in systolic blood pressure. That's the top number in a blood pressure reading. It gauges the pressure of blood moving through arteries.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_143460.html

Drinking raw milk is risky business, new report suggests

Drinking raw milk is a risky idea, especially for children, suggests a new report published Wednesday.

About one in six people who tried raw milk in Minnesota over a 10-year period got sick, according to the study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases. And many of them got seriously sick: Thirteen percent of the people who became ill needed to be hospitalized, for an average of three days. Most of those who got sick after drinking raw milk were children, and an 11-month-old infant, sickened with a toxic E. coli O157 infection, died.

The new report, led by Minnesota Department of Health epidemiologist Trisha Robinson, is a snapshot of the illness outbreaks linked to unpasteurized milk in that state, one of the 30 U.S. states in which raw milk is allowed to be sold in some capacity. Robinson writes that raw milk is frequently identified as the source of foodborne illness outbreaks, and while these cases are often reported in the media, they likely represent a small piece of the actual number of illnesses associated with raw milk.  http://www.nbcnews.com/health/drinking-raw-milk-risky-business-new-report-suggests-2D11724269

More Helpful Fatty Acids Found in Organic Milk

Whole milk from organic dairies contains far more of some of the fatty acids that contribute to a healthy heart than conventional milk, scientists are reporting.

The finding, published Monday in the journal PLOS One, is the most clear-cut instance of an organic food’s offering a nutritional advantage over its conventional counterpart. Studies looking at organic fruits and vegetables have been less conclusive.

Drinking whole organic milk “will certainly lessen the risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” said the study’s lead author, Charles M. Benbrook, a research professor at Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“All milk is healthy and good for people,” he continued, “but organic milk is better, because it has a more favorable balance of these fatty acids” — omega-3, typically found in fish and flaxseed, versus omega-6, which is abundant in many fried foods like potato chips.  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/health/organic-milk-high-in-helpful-fatty-acids-study-finds.html

European body says aspartame is safe for human consumption

The European Food Safety Authority said that artificial sweetener aspartame is safe for human consumption given the current exposure levels. Aspartame has already received widespread regulatory approval including from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization.

But the sweetener, used in some foods and beverages, continues to face controversy concerning potential health risks, and even its production. A European patent revealed earlier this year that aspartame is produced using E. coli microorganisms genetically modified and cultivated to produce the required aspartic acid-phenylalanine amino acid segment as a waste product.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/12/10/European-body-says-aspartame-is-safe-for-human-consumption/8171386687671/#ixzz2nF5H5gEk

Healthy eating costs you $1.50 more a day

Eating nutritional foods is one of the best ways to reduce obesity. But following a healthy diet isn't always easy, especially for lower socioeconomic groups.

One of the biggest barriers to buying good food is the cost, many experts say. Now researchers at Harvard School of Public Health have put a dollar amount on the price of healthy eating. By reviewing 27 studies on the cost of healthy vs. unhealthy foods, they've estimated the daily cost of eating better. Their results are published in the British Medical Journal.

"Conventional wisdom has been that healthier foods cost more, but it's never been clear if that's actually true or exactly how much more healthier foods might cost," said lead study author Mayuree Rao. "We found that the healthiest diets cost about $1.50 more per day, and that's less than we might have expected."  

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/05/healthy-eating-costs-you-1-50-more-a-day/

Energy drinks speed heart contractions, MRIs show

This is your heart on an energy drink, and it’s contracting significantly faster than it was before you opened that can full of liquid stimulant.

So says a team of cardiac radiologists who wanted to figure out why energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, 5-Hour Energy and Rockstar are sending tens of thousands of people to emergency rooms each year, including nearly 21,000 in the U.S. alone, according to a 2013 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

A typical energy drink can have up to three times as much caffeine as coffee or soda, according to Dr. Jonas Dörner, a resident at the University of Bonn in Germany and member of the research team. High caffeine consumption can cause rapid heart rate, palpitations, a spike in blood pressure and even seizures or death, he said in a statement. Taurine is also a major ingredient in energy drinks, Dörner said.

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-energy-drink-heart-strain-20131202,0,1481992.story#ixzz2mwj7vRNj

Few people read restaurant calorie information

 More fast food and chain restaurants are postingcalorie counts on their menus, but a new study suggests only one in three diners reads that information.

The good news is, most consumers who do read calorie counts take them into consideration when deciding what to order.

"Restaurant food tends to have many more calories than people realize, and many more calories than if the same food is cooked at home whether because of the preparation method or because restaurants often provide large portion sizes,"Katherine Bauer told Reuters Health in an email.

Bauer, from the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia, was not involved with the new study.  http://news.yahoo.com/few-people-read-restaurant-calorie-information-203720209.html

USDA announces new plan to combat salmonella

The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled a new plan Wednesday to reduce the number of salmonella outbreaks linked to meat and poultry.

The effort comes weeks after Foster Farms chicken was found to have sickened at least 389 people nationwide with a virulent strain of salmonella found to be resistant to some antibiotics.

An estimated 1.3 million Americans are sickened by the bacteria each year.

“Far too many Americans are sickened by salmonella every year. The aggressive and comprehensive steps detailed in the Salmonella Action Plan will protect consumers by making meat and poultry products safer,” Undersecretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen said in a prepared statement.

Included in the new plan is a controversial rollout of a pilot program that would speed up poultry processing lines and replace some USDA inspectors with plant employees.

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-usda-salmonella-20131204,0,2207604.story#ixzz2mwhY0Tox

A good sidewalk might encourage exercise, study hints

The nicer their neighborhood sidewalks, the more active people tend to be, according to a new study from Detroit.

Previous studies have also found neighborhood characteristics have an impact on healthy behaviors.

"While a number of studies have looked at the presence of sidewalks and their association with physical activity, very few have examined the condition of the sidewalk," said Jamila L. Kwarteng.

She led the new study at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor.

Kwarteng and her coauthors surveyed 919 adults in poor and middle-class neighborhoods in Detroit, asking them how much they exercised and how often.

The researchers also walked around the neighborhoods and rated the condition of sidewalks and streets.

According to results published in the Journal of Public Health, people who lived near more uneven or obstructed sidewalks tended to be less active. That was especially the case for younger people.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142369.html

Reducing bottle use doesn't prevent toddler weight gain

Toddlers who continue to use bottles beyond 12 to 15 months of age tend to be overweight. But simply switching them to sippy cups may not prevent extra weight gain, a new study finds.

Doctors recommend introducing sippy cups at six months and weaning toddlers off bottles completely by the time they're 15 months old.

But 20 percent of two-year-olds and 10 percent of three-year-olds in the U.S. continue to use bottles, often drinking five bottles of whole milk every day, researchers said.

"Bottles can become a vessel for extra, or ‘stealth' calories, because they are often used indiscriminately. For example, while in a stroller, or to put a child to bed," Karen Bonuck told Reuters Health in an email. She led the new study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York.

"Before you know it, a child can take in 150 calories of whole milk in a bottle on top of their regular diet," Bonuck said.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142362.html

Sugary Soda Habit May Harm Kidneys, Study Suggests

If you have a penchant for drinking sugary sodas, you might be raising your risk for kidney disease, new research suggests.

Employees at a university in Japan who consumed more than two sodas a day were more likely to have protein in their urine when compared to those who had fewer or no sodas on a daily basis. Protein in the urine is considered an early, but reversible, marker of kidney damage.

The new study showed an association between drinking soda and an increased risk of kidney damage, but it didn't necessarily prove that soda is the culprit.

The study included more than 12,000 university employees who underwent their annual check-ups at their health center. As part of the exam, their urine was tested for evidence of protein.

Nearly 11 percent of employees who said they drank two or more soft drinks per day had protein in their urine during three years of follow-up. In contrast, 8.4 percent of those who did not any drink soda and roughly 9 percent of those who drank about one can a day tested positive for protein in their urine.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142376.html

Fitness Linked to Lower Heart Attack Risk in Heart Disease Patients

Being physically fit can help prevent heart attacks and increase survival in people with stable coronary artery disease, a new study finds.

This was true whether or not the patients underwent a procedure to open blocked heart arteries.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 9,800 adults with coronary artery disease who underwent a treadmill stress test. They were also followed for 11 years to see if they suffered a heart attack, had undergone a procedure to open blocked heart arteries or had died from any cause.

"We measured exercise capacity, expressed as metabolic equivalents, or METs, from the patients' stress test results," study co-investigator John McEvoy, a cardiology fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said in a Hopkins news release.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142607.html

Weight Loss Can Combat Irregular Heart Beat, Study Says

Overweight or obese people can cut their risk of trouble with a potentially fatal irregular heart beat if they lose a lot of weight, a new study has found.

Losing a bit more than 30 pounds, on average, caused people to have fewer and less severe bouts of heart palpitations related to atrial fibrillation.

The findings were presented Sunday at the American Heart Association annual meeting in Dallas, and published simultaneously in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Atrial fibrillation is a disorder of the electrical impulses that coordinate the beating of the heart. Rapid and disorganized electrical signals cause the heart's two upper chambers -- the atria -- to contract in a fast and irregular way. The condition can increase a person's risk of stroke and contribute to heart problems.

The new study found that people on a strict weight-management plan experienced a five-fold decrease in the severity of their atrial fibrillation symptoms, compared with those who only received nutrition and fitness advice.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142608.html

Study: Kids are less fit than their parents were

Today's kids can't keep up with their parents. An analysis of studies on millions of children around the world finds they don't run as fast or as far as their parents did when they were young.

On average, it takes children 90 seconds longer to run a mile than their counterparts did 30 years ago. Heart-related fitness has declined 5 percent per decade since 1975 for children ages 9 to 17.

The American Heart Association, whose conference featured the research on Tuesday, says it's the first to show that children's fitness has declined worldwide over the last three decades.

"It makes sense. We have kids that are less active than before," said Dr. Stephen Daniels, aUniversity of Colorado pediatrician and spokesman for the heart association.  http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/Study-Kids-are-less-fit-than-their-parents-were-4993330.php

Breast Milk With Solid Foods Might Stave Off Allergies

Giving babies solid food while still breast-feeding, and waiting until 17 weeks to do so, might protect the infants from food allergies, British researchers say.

The overlap between starting solid foods while still breast-feeding teaches the immune system that food is safe and prevents food allergies, the researchers theorized.

"Mothers should continue to breast-feed beyond introducing solids into the diet so the immune system can benefit from the immunological factors in breast milk that educate the immune system," said lead researcher Kate Grimshaw, a research fellow and allergy specialist at the University of Southampton.  http://consumer.healthday.com/respiratory-and-allergy-information-2/food-allergy-news-16/breast-milk-with-solid-foods-stave-off-food-allergies-682239.html

'Healthy' Obesity May Still Carry Higher Health Risks

Even seemingly healthy obese people are at increased risk for diabetes and heart disease, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 6,500 participants in a San Antonio-based heart study who were followed for between six and 10 years. They were checked for high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides (a type of blood fat) and blood sugar levels, insulin resistance and low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.

People with none or only one of these conditions were classified as "metabolically healthy," whether they were normal weight or overweight.

However, the researchers found that obese people who were considered metabolically healthy still had an increased risk for diabetes and heart disease, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142711.html

PTSD Might Lead to Sizable Weight Gain in Women

Women with post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to be overweight or obese than women without the condition, a new study suggests.

According to the researchers, one in nine women will have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in her life. That's twice as often as men. Women are more likely to experience traumatic events, such as rape, which carry a high risk for PTSD, the study authors said.

"PTSD is not just about mental health, but also has physical health consequences," said lead researcher Karestan Koenen, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, in New York City.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142714.html

Target empty calories in kids' diets at the source: study

About a third of the calories kids eat at school, at fast food restaurants and from grocery stores are "empty calories" that should be targeted for reduction, according to a new study.

"Although fast foods are generally recognized as less healthful, our study found that foods consumed by U.S. children from grocery stores and schools were similar in empty calorie content to fast foods," author Jennifer M. Poti said.

Poti is a doctoral candidate in nutritional epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142733.html

Vitamin D Deficiency Might Be Overdiagnosed in Blacks, Study Suggests

Black adults typically have low levels of vitamin D in their blood, but they are on par with whites when it comes to the "active" form of vitamin D used by the body's cells, a new study finds.

Experts said the findings go a long way toward explaining a paradox: Blacks usually have fairly low vitamin D levels, but have greater bone mass than whites. Vitamin D is needed to maintain strong bones.

What's more, the results suggest that doctors may be overdiagnosing vitamin D deficiency in black patients, said lead researcher Dr. Ravi Thadhani, chief of nephrology at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston.

"We're suggesting that the definition of vitamin D deficiency needs to be rethought," said Thadhani, whose report appears in the Nov. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142717.html

Eat Nuts, Live Longer?

If you like nuts -- and it doesn't seem to matter what kind is your personal favorite -- you might be cutting your risk of early death by eating a handful of them every day.

New research found that people who ate a 1-ounce serving of nuts each day showed a 20 percent reduced risk of dying from any cause over three decades, compared to those who didn't eat the tasty snacks.

"We looked at nut consumption in approximately 119,000 Americans over the past 30 years," said study senior author Dr. Charles Fuchs, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. "People who were regular nut consumers had a significant reduction in [death from all causes]."  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142716.html

New Study Paints Grim Health Picture for Obese Teens

Severely obese teens are at increased risk for a host of serious health problems as adults, including asthma, kidney disease and sleep disorders, according to a new study.

"Most people understand that the longer you carry extra weight, the higher your chances of developing heart disease or diabetes," said study author Dr. Thomas Inge, professor of surgery and pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, in Ohio. "But now it seems that an even larger number of conditions should be added to the list of health problems that some obese teenagers will likely face down the road."

The study, published online Nov. 18 in the journal Pediatrics, included more than 1,500 severely obese American adults, aged 19 to 76. All were about to undergo weight-loss surgery. They were asked about their weight at age 18 and then assessed for medical problems related to obesity.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142617.html

Weight loss may help steady irregular heartbeat

People with an irregular heart rhythm could see an improvement in symptoms if they lose weight in addition to managing their other heart risks, says a new study.

Researchers found that people who lost more than 30 pounds and kept their other health conditions in check saw greater improvements in atrial fibrillation symptoms than those who just managed their other health conditions without trying to lose weight.

"Risk factor management is a crucial component of managing atrial fibrillation," Dr. Prashanthan Sanders, the study's lead author from the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia, said.

"I think that's what the public needs to be aware of and it's not out there yet," he added.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142646.html

Health Tip: Eat Safely During the Holidays

Before you stuff the turkey or prepare holiday treats, make sure you take precautions to prepare your food and store it safely after the feast is over.

The Foodsafety.gov website offers these holiday guidelines:

• Thoroughly wash your hands, produce and all surfaces and utensils.
• While shopping, separate raw meat and poultry from any foods that won't be cooked.
• Use a food thermometer to make sure all meat is cooked to an appropriate temperature.
• Reheat any sauces, gravies and soups to a rolling boil.
• Make sure all eggs are thoroughly cooked. Use only pasteurized egg products.
• Promptly refrigerate all leftovers at 40 degrees or below. Use leftovers within four days, or toss them out.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142615.html

Older men who walk daily may lower their stroke risk

Older men who walked at least one to two hours each day compared to less than half an hour per day had a reduced risk of stroke, in a large population-based study reported in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

In a study of 3,435 healthy men age 60 to 80, researchers asked distance walked each week and usual walking pace. They divided them into groups: those who spent zero-three hours a week; four-seven hours; eight-14 hours; 15-21 hours; and more than 22 hours walking per week. Men were followed for the next 10 years and monitored for all new cases of stroke.

Researchers found:

• Men who walked eight-14 hours per week had about one-third lower risk of stroke than men who spent zero-three hours walking each week.
• The risk was about two-thirds lower for those walking more than 22 hours a week.
• 42 percent walked for more than eight hours per week while 9 percent walked for more than 22 hours per week.
• Men who walked zero-three hours per week had 80 strokes per 10,000 person years and men who walked eight-14 hours per week had 55 strokes per 10,000 person years.  http://newsroom.heart.org/news/older-men-who-walk-daily-may-lower-their-stroke-risk

Testing for Pregnancy-Linked Diabetes Should Be Routine, Experts Say

All pregnant women should be screened for diabetes at their first prenatal check up, according to new recommendations from an international group of endocrinology experts.

The test should be done before women are 13 weeks pregnant or as soon as possible after that milestone is reached, according to new clinical practice guidelines released by the Endocrine Society to help doctors improve the level of care for pregnant women with diabetes.

Up to one in five women may develop gestational diabetes -- a form of diabetes that begins during pregnancy. Traditional testing methods, however, only detect about 25 percent of these cases. As a result, the experts caution that many pregnant women with gestational diabetes are going undiagnosed, which could increase their risk of having an overly large baby and complications during delivery.

"Many women have type 2 diabetes but may not know it," Dr. Ian Blumer, chair of the guidelines task force, said in a society news release. "Because untreated diabetes can harm both the pregnant woman and the fetus, it is important that testing for diabetes be done early on in pregnancy so that if diabetes is found appropriate steps can be immediately undertaken to keep both the woman and her fetus healthy."

The guidelines also recommend using lower blood sugar levels to diagnose gestational diabetes, which will allow doctors to detect more cases.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142530.html

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Offering students healthier food choices at school helps improve their eating habits, a new study suggests.

The research included 55 middle schools in Michigan with mostly low-income students. Some of the schools made only limited changes to their nutrition policies and practices, while others introduced major changes.

Some of the new programs included raising nutrition standards for snacks and beverages, offering taste tests of healthy foods and beverages to students, marketing healthy foods in school, and removing ads for unhealthy foods.

In schools that introduced three or more new nutrition practices and policies, students ate 26 percent more fruits, 14 percent more vegetables and 30 percent more whole grains. They also increased their consumption of fiber, calcium and vitamins A and C, according to the study, which was published online Nov. 11 in the journal Childhood Obesity.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_142537.html

Your Fridge and Food Safety

Cleaning the refrigerator is one of those things most of us put off, but according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service freshening up the fridge regularly is good for your health.

• Start with a batch of vinegar and water to wipe down the inside walls and shelves.
• If the stains are really stubborn, try scrubbing with a mixture of baking soda and water.
• You can attack nasty odors with rolled up newspapers. Stuff them in the fridge and leave for a few days to soak up any lingering smells. When you take them out, use the vinegar and water solution.
• Or you can combat odors with a cotton swab soaked in vanilla. Try putting it in the freezer for a few days and see if things improve.
• Once the scrubbing is done, prevent future odors with an open container of baking soda or coffee on a back shelf.
• Finally, if these eco-friendly solutions don't do the trick, bring in the commercial cleaner. But make sure you follow the instructions on the label.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/videos/news/Stinky_Refrigerator_111513-1.html

Obesity Surgery Carries Risk in Subsequent Pregnancy

Women who have undergone bariatric surgery should be classified as at-risk during pregnancy, with a greater chance of giving birth to preterm or small-for-gestational-age babies, Swedish researchers said.

In a 1999-2009 cohort of 2,534 births following weight-loss surgery, nearly 10% (243) were preterm compared with 6.1% of 12,468 control births of similar age, parity, early pregnancy body mass index (BMI), smoking status, education level, and delivery year, according to Olof Stephansson, MD, PhD, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues.  http://www.medpagetoday.com/OBGYN/Pregnancy/42873

Herbal Supplements Are Often Not What They Seem

Americans spend an estimated $5 billion a year on unproven herbal supplements that promise everything from fighting off colds to curbing hot flashes and boosting memory. But now there is a new reason for supplement buyers to beware: DNA tests show that many pills labeled as healing herbs are little more than powdered rice and weeds.

Using a test called DNA barcoding, a kind of genetic fingerprinting that has also been used to help uncover labeling fraud in the commercial seafood industry, Canadian researchers tested 44 bottles of popular supplements sold by 12 companies. They found that many were not what they claimed to be, and that pills labeled as popular herbs were often diluted — or replaced entirely — by cheap fillers like soybean, wheat and rice.  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/science/herbal-supplements-are-often-not-what-they-seem.html?src=me&_r=0

Fast Food Companies Relying on Social Media to Target Younger Consumers

Kids are seeing fewer ads for fast food on television, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t targeted as consumers in other ways.

There are healthier options to go along with the fries and burgers — and even a slimmed down french fry, but a new study from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity says fast food restaurantsare still targeting young kids in marketing campaigns.

The report, called “Fast Food FACTS 2013″ follows-up the organization’s report from 2010. The researchers studied 18 of the top fast food chains in the U.S. and documented the changes in the nutritional quality of the food they served, as well as their marketing campaigns to kids and teens on TV and online.

Since 2010, kids between the ages of 6 to 11 saw 10% fewer TV ads for fast foods, and more of these ads included healthier meals, such as fruit snacks and salads.  http://news.yahoo.com/fast-food-companies-relying-social-media-target-younger-163606325.html