SmartBrief for Nutritionists

Study: Sugary drinks are behind children's high calorie intake | Creating menu-labeling rules is challenging, FDA chief says | Homemade snacks are healthier and less expensive, dietitian says

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March 13, 2013

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Study: Sugary drinks are behind children's high calorie intake
Increased calorie intake among 2- to 11-year-olds in the U.S. between 2003 and 2010 was mainly attributed to sugar-sweetened drinks, according to a report published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. For 12- to 18-year-olds, researchers noted that both food and sugary drinks were to blame for the higher intake of calories. HealthDay News (3/12)

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Dietary Health

Registered Dietitian Day is a time to celebrate benefits of profession
Registered dietitians provide nutrition therapy that helps reduce chronic disease and health costs, RD Seanne Safaii writes in observing Registered Dietitian Day today. She writes that data show that medical nutrition therapy leads to less use of hospital and physician services. Coeur d'Alene Press (Idaho) (3/13)

Creating menu-labeling rules is challenging, FDA chief says
Creating menu-labeling regulations has been a challenge for the FDA because while the idea makes sense on paper, it could be difficult for some businesses to put it into practice, Commissioner Margaret Hamburg says. She says that final rules should be released in the "relative near term" but added that the industry and public health groups continue to have strong opinions on the issue. The Topeka Capital-Journal (Kan.)/The Associated Press (3/12)

Homemade snacks are healthier and less expensive, dietitian says
Instead of buying processed or fast-food snacks, such as sweet potato fries, dips or chicken nuggets, registered dietitian Keri Glassman suggests making them at home. Homemade versions are less expensive, and they can be healthier by baking instead of frying and using more wholesome ingredients, Glassman writes. U.S. News & World Report/Eat + Run blog (3/11)

Science & Research

Study shows how lack of sleep can lead to weight gain
Young, healthy adults who were restricted to five hours of sleep per night and had unlimited access to food gained about two pounds in less than two weeks, according to research from the University of Colorado, Boulder. The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found the study participants ate less at breakfast but their after-dinner snacking added up to more calories than any other individual meal. CBS News (3/12)

Study links cocoa extract to better insulin pathways
Taking the cocoa extract epicatechin was associated with improvements in insulin pathways and receptors, according to a study in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. However, experts said increasing dark-chocolate consumption may not have any benefits due in part to added sugar, calories and fat. Diabetes.co.uk (U.K.) (3/12)

Other News

Study casts doubt on breast-feeding as means to prevent childhood obesity
Reuters (3/12)
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Fitness

Simultaneous exercise creates full workout for older adults
Fitness experts say older adults need exercise routines that include aerobics and resistance training to promote balance and bone and muscle health. Exercise physiologist Dr. Michael Rogers has seen success using a formula called simultaneous or concurrent exercise, which emphasizes activities that combine strength-building and aerobic-type exercises in one movement. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (3/12)

Institutional Foodservice

Md. parents to push for healthier school meals
Parents in Maryland's Montgomery County launched the group Real Food for Kids Montgomery to work with public schools on providing healthier student meals. The group is joining forces with Real Food for Kids in Fairfax County, Va., to lobby for fewer processed foods and the elimination of artificial additives, refined white flour and added sugars. The Washington Post (3/12)

Recipe of the Day

Brussels sprouts and steak stir-fry
Put a twist on your usual stir-fry with this dish. Epicurious/Bon Appetit

Food For Thought

Licensed, registered dietitians (RD's) draw on their experience to develop a personalized nutrition plan for individuals of all ages. They are able to separate facts from fads and translate nutritional science into information you can use."

-- RD Seanne Safaii, writing in the Coeur d'Alene Press