Hey, parents: Be picky about what your kids eat. According to new research conducted at the University of Calgary in Canada, the majority of food products aimed at children are nutritionally deficient according to quality standards set by the U.S. nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. And that wasn’t even counting “junk foods” like chips and cookies. Researchers who analyzed 367 Canadian food items aimed at children (most of which are the same brands you’ll find stateside) found that while 89 percent were too high in sugar, fat, and/or sodium, 63 percent made a nutritional claim such as “great source of whole grains” or “source of six essential nutrients.” Of those, 70 percent were deemed deficient due to high sugar levels, 23 percent had too much fat, and 17 percent contained elevated levels of sodium. The bottom line: Don’t be fooled by nutritional promises or colorful cartoons of kids taking part in physical activity (nearly 20 percent of the products were guilty of this marketing scheme); being skeptical can keep your kids healthier.
Source: Obesity Reviews, July 2008

Mealtime Matters

It’s not all about what you eat. How often you eat matters, too. Researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet surveyed nearly 4,000 men and women, all age 60, and found that those who ate irregularly (for example, often skipping meals) had a heavier mean weight, larger waist size, more blood lipid disorders, and additional signs of insulin resistance compared with people who ate regularly. Regular eaters, on the other hand, were less likely to have insulin resistance and had lower concentrations of an enzyme that indicates cardiovascular disease than their counterparts. Plus, researchers found that the regular eaters were more physically active and ate more fruits, veggies, and fish. According to Justo Sierra-Johnson, MD, MS, of the Artherosclerosis Research Unit of the Department of Medicine at Karolinska, there’s a twofold reason for the association. Previous studies have suggested that irregular eating leads to insulin resistance. Sierra-Johnson says it’s also possible that irregular eaters compensate for missed meals by overeating—or picking less healthy foods—when they do eat.
Source: Obesity, June 2008

News Briefs: Trimming the Fat in Restaurants

California has become the first state to ban trans fats from its restaurants. The legislation will take effect on Jan. 1, 2010, and prohibits the use of oil, margarine, and shortening containing trans fats—a step that has already been taken by several fast food chains. Trans fats, found mostly in oils, shortenings, and fast foods, are deemed to be the unhealthiest type of dietary fat when it comes to heart disease. Use of the fats in restaurants has already been banned in a number of major cities, including Philadelphia, New York, and Seattle. Violation of the law in California could result in fines of $25 to $1,000.

The Whole Truth

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is now recommending that some at-risk toddlers graduating from breast milk or formula to cow’s milk should skip the whole milk and go straight to reduced-fat milks. This recommendation is for toddlers who are overweight or obese themselves or whose families have a history of heart disease, obesity, or high cholesterol. Previously, the AAP recommended whole milk because it was thought essential for normal growth in young children. But recent evidence has shown no harm is done by using lower-fat milk. Between ages 1 and 2, 2% milk is recommended and after that 1% or skim become options.
Source: Pediatrics, July 2008

Soy and Male Fertility

Men who eat soy have fewer sperm than those who don’t, according to a new study. Soy foods—like tofu, soy milk, and some veggie burgers—have been shown to have many dietary benefits. But they happen to be high in isoflavones, a dietary compound that can act like estrogen. This is one reason soy is a suspected male infertility agent. The association was stronger for overweight and obese men as well as in men with sperm counts on the higher end of the spectrum. Some previous studies have failed to find this link between isoflavones and sperm quantity. But, according to the authors, this is the largest human study to date.
Source: Human Reproduction, July 23, 2008

With Sweet Drinks, Even One Is Too Many

One glass of orange juice a day may increase women’s chance of developing type 2 diabetes by 24 percent, new research finds. Other fruit juices studied, including apple juice and grapefruit juice, had similarly negative associations. So did fruit punch, nondiet soda, and low-calorie soda. In contrast, women who consumed more whole fruits and green leafy vegetables demonstrated fewer incidences of diabetes. Researchers suggest that these findings should encourage people to replace juice with whole fruits in their diets.
Source: Diabetes Care, July 2008