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NUTRITION
11/25/03 <link>
World
hunger on the rise
The latest U.N. report is clearly a cause for concern (bold text is my
emphasis)
...the number of malnourished people
has risen after having fallen steadily during the first half of the
1990s, according to a UN report.
The
number of chronically hungry people around the world rose to 842
million in 2000, an increase of 18 million, says the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization.
Around 25 million people die annually from hunger.
Developing countries account for nearly 800 million undernourished
people. This number is climbing at a rate of almost five million a
year, the report said.
About 34 million people were reported hungry in countries of the
former Soviet bloc, followed by 10 million in industrial countries...
1/3/03 <link>
Ranking
of "fittest" and "fattest" cities in the U.S. from
Men's Fitness magazine
Californian cities figure prominently in the Fittest list (and none in
the fattest), whereas Texas cities figure prominently in the
"Fattest" list (with the exception of Austin, TX, which
figures in the Fittest list).
11/18/02 <link>
Atkins'
low-carb high-fat diet gets more support, and so do fruits and
vegetables
Another piece of research on the Atkins' diet (with an admittedly small
sample) produces (apparently) surprising bad cholesterol reduction and
good cholesterol decrease, even better than AHA's recommended diet.
Study's results are short-term and the need for more research is
emphasized.
More comprehensive 12-year study on women shows fruits and vegetables
reduced obesity risk by 26%.
10/17/02 <link>
Benefits of vegetarianism
Karen Collins, in the latest
article in a growing literature on this topic, briefly points out
what kinds of vegetarian foods are really helpful and what aren't. She
notes that vegetarians may have as much as 30% lower risk of contracting
cancer and up to 40% lower risk of heart attacks, but reminds us not to
expect such benefits if the vegetarian diet is comprised of generous
servings of fries, chips, sugary soda, alcohol, etc. The key is to
ensure the diet is high in fruits and vegetables, along with whole
grains and beans. Here's the punch line: "...It’s
not just what you avoid, it’s what you eat that counts."
10/15/02 <link>
"Organic" finally goes mainstream
Kudos to the USDA for finally releasing the nation-wide guidelines/laws
on labeling of organic products (see USA
Today, San
Jose Mercury News). This should help streamline and direct the
growth of this industry, which should be supported by all. We summarize
briefly the new guidelines, as reported by the Mercury News:
- 100% organic: Products with this
label must contain only organically produced ingredients.
- Organic: Must contain 95%
organically produced ingredients.
- Made with organic ingredients:
Must contain at least 70% organic ingredients.
(Note: Use of genetic engineering, ionizing radiation or sewage
sludge does not qualify as organic.)
10/8/02 <link>
Obesity epidemic in the U.S. grows
With the McDonaldsization and Burger-Kingization of the
U.S. what else can one reasonably expect? The terrible statistics?
- 64% of U.S. adult population is overweight - highest level ever
- 31% of U.S. adult population is obese; women more so than men
- Racial differences minor for men, but significant for women. A
whopping 50% of African American women are obese, followed by 40% of
Mexican-American women and 30% of White women.
9/30/02 <link>
Fast-food
industry finally trying to make their food "healthier"
(relatively speaking)
Could it be due to the lawsuit threat, or
could it just be that some of them actually developed a conscience by
accident after seeing the obesity (and related diseases) epidemic
develop in the U.S.? USA
Today's "Nutrition Chart" for some common fast foods is
quite revealing, and is particularly recommended for those who binge on
these foods.
9/05/02 <link>
Dietary
Reference Intake
An updated dietary reference intake (DRI) replacing the currently used
Recommended Daily Allowance, has just been released
9/03/02 <link>
McDonald's to cut
French Fries fat! (Unbelievable!)
Initially we wondered briefly if this could be because the CEO or his children are suffering from heart
disease. Then reality struck us - what are the chances they eat this
stuff on a regular basis? Or could it be the recent
lawsuit (which by the way we don't particularly find worth its
fat, er, salt)?
7/10/02 <link>
Trans-fats
("hydrogenated" fats) are very bad for health
Scientists have found that higher trans-fats (sometimes indicated by use
of "hydrogenated" oils in the content of foods) translates to
higher levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). They have unable to agree of any
minimum safe amount of trans-fats for consumption, because the feeling
is that any amount is bad. The bad news is that tens of thousands
of food products have trans fats and virtually none of them report it.
Apparently, the Federal Government is going to step in and start
requiring providers to indicate the trans-fat content in their foods. It
is unclear when the new labeling will become mandatory.
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