If you're trying to lose weight, stocking up on those 100-calorie packs of crackers and cookies may not be the best idea. Researchers found that people watching their weight consume more high-calorie snacks when they eat out of small packages. In the study, 140 undergrads--half of whom were conditioned to be concerned with their body weight and shape--were brought in for an experiment they were led to believe was testing television advertising preferences. While watching the ads, students were offered either a large bag of potato chips or one of several snack-size bags. Those thinking about their body size ate fewer chips from a large bag than from individual-size bags. Not only that, but the students were half as likely to even open a large bag of chips as they were to open a little one. According to the researchers, larger packages may make the weight-conscious think twice before indulging. Snack-size treats, on the other hand, have been so touted as diet aids that they may inadvertently give people the green light to chow down.
Source: Journal of Consumer Research, October 2008

Beyond the Vending Machine

Limiting the availability at schools of highly caloric soft drinks--soda pop, sports drinks, or fruit drinks that are not 100 percent juice--may have little impact on children's drinking habits, according to a new study. Due to the potential link between soft drink consumption and obesity, the researchers wanted to examine policies that keep soft drinks out of schools. In schools that offer them, 26 percent of children drink the sweet stuff. However, the authors observed only a 4 percent decrease in soft drink consumption among fifth graders attending schools without soft drinks. The researchers conclude that other measures--such as creating an environment that promotes healthy nutrition--will be required to curtail this problem.
Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, September 2008

Trans Fats: In Case You Weren't Already Convinced

Here's some more bad news about trans fats: High intake has been linked to precancerous colon growths, which may increase the risk of colon cancer. In a recent study, people who ate the most trans fats--around 6.5 grams per day--had an 86 percent greater chance of developing colon polyps than those in the group that ate the least (around 3.6 grams per day).
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology, Aug. 1, 2008

Your Morning Shot (of Protein)

Loading up on protein in the morning may make sticking to a diet easier, according to a small new study in men. Study participants who ate high-protein breakfasts felt fuller and more satiated throughout the day, compared to those who ate breakfasts with normalprotein content, about one third the amount in the high-protein breakfast. The researchers also tested high-protein lunches and dinners, but found the greatest satiety, as determined by self-reporting, came with a protein-laden breakfast. (Remember to check with your health care provider before adding extra protein to your diet, as it can be a problem for some people with diabetes.)
Source: British Journal of Nutrition, Sept. 2, 2008

Web Exlusive: Protein-Packed Breakfast Ideas

K Packs a Punch

Supplements of vitamin K, found naturally in dark green vegetables like broccoli and spinach as well as in some oils, protected older men (but not women) without diabetes against insulin resistance in a new study. Insulin resistance combined with inadequate insulin supplies from the pancreas leads to type 2 diabetes. The daily recommended allowance of vitamin K is 120 micrograms for adult men and 90 for adult women. (People taking the anticoagulant drug Coumadin need to avoid vitamin K, however.)
Source: Diabetes Care, November 2008