A Harvard Medical School study linked the consumption of above-average amounts of red meat during adolescence with an increased likelihood of developing breast cancer as an adult.

Dr. Linda Frazier and her colleagues examined reports of food consumption from 38,268 pre-menopausal women who reported how often they had eaten red meat - including beef, pork, lamb, and processed meats such as hot dogs or bacon - when they were adolescents.

Women who reported eating more than two and a half servings per day (262 grams or more) had a 34 percent greater chance of developing breast cancer than did those who ate less than one serving. The kind of red meat did not matter. The average consumption was 68 grams per day.

"This study adds considerable evidence to the established adverse effect of red meat," Dr. Frazier said.

The work appears in the journal Cancer Epidemiology.

Labels: cancer, girls, healthy_eating

Legislation that was passed in 2007 will result in weight and body mass indices (BMI) being collected from students throughout the state of New York. Doctors will test the students when they come in for their student health certificates.

"The information will be reported to schools, creating a set of data that will allow health officials to evaluate obesity levels based on geography... The data will be passed on to the state Department of Health unless parents ask to have the information excluded."

A 2004 survey of New York's third-graders found that more than 20 percent were obese. New York is one of 13 states that tracks the BMI of its students. Source: Associated Press

Labels: body_mass_index, legislation

What do you do when your child seems to be hooked on unhealthy foods and is at risk of becoming obese? Adjusting a child's eating habits is far easier when he is young.

"Make sure you have a bowl of bananas, apples, plums and whatever other fruits you can find sitting on the table or counter in your kitchen. Do the same with vegetables. Cut them in sticks and make a great low-fat dip for them to dunk their vegetables into."

Cut back on things like soda and high-fat/high-calorie snacks such as potato chips and pizza. Remember that you're helping your child set eating habits that will last a lifetime. Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Labels: habits, parents, role_models

The value of eating fruits and vegetables has been touted for generations. But new scientific research is finding that fruits and vegetables are more than just an excellent source of vitamins.

"We've moved beyond seeing fruits and vegetables as rich sources of essential vitamins and now are beginning to understand the roles and complexity of compounds such as antioxidants and the literally hundreds of phytochemicals that interact to influence health and nutrition."

Antioxidants protect the body against "free radicals," harmful molecules that are linked to higher rates of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. Source: Enid News & Eagle (OK)

Labels: healthy_eating, heart_disease, nutrition

A consortium of health organizations in Australia is funding a series of advertisements aimed at mocking junk food ads that are being run during the Olympics.

"'When obesity, and particularly childhood obesity, is one of the biggest health issues facing our country, sporting champions should be promoting positive messages about diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle, not exploited to promote fast foods,' [hockey gold medalist Jenn] Morris said."

The ads will feature Morris and basketball legend Luc Longley. Source: PerthNow

Labels: advertising, influences, marketing

In the continuing battle against childhood obesity, researchers are reminding parents that they have the greatest influence over their children's eating habits.

"'We know that parents have tremendous influence over how many fruits and vegetables their children eat,' says Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph.D., a professor at George Warren Brown School of Social Work. 'When parents eat more fruits and vegetables, so do their children...'"

A five-year study in rural Missouri found that programs like Parents as Teachers, in which parents are taught how to incorporate healthy eating and healthy eating lessons into everyday life, were highly effective in helping parents and children learn healthy eating habits. Source: Washington University in St. Louis

Labels: eating-habits, influences, parents

Over the past 12 months, consumer and children's advocacy groups have successfully lobbied for tighter restrictions on junk food advertising during kids' television shows. Now, many of those same groups are targeting Web advertising.

"A new report, commissioned by the Berkley Media Studies Group, part of the Public Health Institute in Berkeley, Calif., focuses on methods of advertising foods to kids that have become particularly popular during the past two years, such as spreading messages through social networks, and urges lawmakers to restrict junk food advertising to kids online."

The report will be presented to members of Congress, along with recommendations that ads for unhealthy snacks on kids' websites be restricted. Source: BusinessWeek

Labels: advertising, influences, marketing

The fight against childhood obesity typically focuses on kids that are kindergarten-age or older. But pediatricians warn that they're seeing more and more overweight toddlers.

"Program directors at a weight management program in Boston say they've never seen so many young children before... In fact, obesity rates among children younger than 5 have doubled over the last two decades."

Pediatricians are telling parents that it's never too early to begin managing a child's weight. Source: WXOW19 (La Crosse, WI)

Labels: pediatricians, toddlers, younger-children

Michael Phelps has done it; he's won more gold medals in swimming than any other Olympic athlete in history. Beginning mid-September, his face will appear on cereal boxes of ... Frosted Flakes. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from health experts.

"The announcement yesterday that Phelps... would grace Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes boxes instead of the traditional athlete's choice of Wheaties left many perplexed. Frosted Flakes has three times the amount of sugar as Wheaties and 1/3 the fiber."

Those things don't matter much to someone like Phelps who consumes 12,000 calories a day, but to parents and pediatricians concerned about childhood obesity, it sends the wrong message. Source: New York Daily News

Labels: breakfast, influences, role_models

Convened in Boston and hosted by the city's mayor, the City and School Leaders Collaborating on Local Wellness Policies initiative met to discuss strategies for citywide wellness policies that could be sustained long-term.

"One of the innovative local programs that project teams visited was the Boston Schoolyard Initiative, a partnership by the city, school district and Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative that has refurbished 71 public schoolyards... these schoolyards are converted into spaces in which children can be healthy and physically active as well as learn outdoor science lessons..."

Several strategies were discussed for implementing similar programs in other cities, including connecting wellness committees to existing youth programs, and partnering with a foundation or other entity to ensure implementation of citywide policies. Source: National League of Cities

Labels: awareness, prevention, schools

Shirley Alexander from the Children's Hospital at Westmead (in New South Wales, Australia) believes the growing problem of childhood obesity is outpacing available resources. As a result, surgery may soon become an option.

"'The hospital has recognized, as has the state (of NSW), that we need to do something and face this problem,' she told ABC Radio today... 'Part of the NSW health plan is looking towards funding some [surgery] so we may actually see an increase in surgical measures for severely-obese older adolescents.'"

The primary focus currently is a family-based approach that teaches about healthier lifestyles and encourages changes in the whole family. Source: The Australian News

Labels: lifestyle, obesity surgery, resources

Annually, over five million children suffer with ear infections. A new study has found that childhood ear infections could damage taste nerves and increase the risk for obesity.

"When ear infection pathogens damage the main sensory taste nerve it can intensify sensations produced by fatty foods. This heightens the preference for those foods and can lead to weight gain, [Linda] Bartoshuk said."

University of Florida researchers found that children who had had ear infections were 14 percent more likely to enjoy sweet foods than those without ear infections. They also like high-fat foods 18 percent more than those without ear infections. Source: MediLexicon

Labels: ear-infections, fatty-foods, side-effects

In an age where childhood obesity is dramatically increasing, the popularity of fad diets is increasing as well. But most experts agree that diets don't work.

"There must be a lifestyle change... Changing doesn't have to be a difficult task. Some say it takes 6 weeks of doing something continuously for it to become a habit. So just replace one bad habit at a time with a good habit."

Most experts also agree that if eating and exercise habits are changed, weight loss will usually take care of itself. Source: Associated Content

Labels: changes, diets, lifestyle