Futurity.org » nutrition

Spoon-fed babies may become fatter kids

Emma Rayner-Nottingham — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:18:59 +0000

U. NOTTINGHAM (UK) — Babies fed solid finger food may be less likely to become overweight as children than those who are spoon-fed pureed food.

The babies who ate solid food were also more likely to develop healthier food preferences, according to the University of Nottingham study.

Fast-food diners say, ‘Downsize me’

Keith Brannon-Tulane — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:55:27 +0000

TULANE (US) — Asking consumers if they would like a smaller portion may be a better approach to curb overeating than posting calorie counts.

The study from Tulane University found that when servers asked customers whether they’d like to “downsize” starchy side dishes at a Chinese fast-food restaurant as many as a third gladly cut back—saving an average 200 calories each meal.

“Our goal was to test whether the invitation to downsize a meal component would be embraced by consumers and, importantly, whether the approach would be more effective than a purely information-based approach—in this case calorie labeling,” says lead study author Janet Schwartz, assistant professor of marketing at Tulane University.

At cash-strapped schools, obesity rules

A'ndrea Elyse Messer-Penn State — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:46:01 +0000

PENN STATE (US) — Going to a financially impoverished school may have more of a negative impact on a child’s weight than poverty in their own home, a new study finds.

The study, published in Social Science and Medicine, finds that poor schools even influence how parental education protects children from becoming overweight.

Walnuts may shrink prostate cancer risk

Dorsey Griffith-UC Davis — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:13:51 +0000

UC DAVIS (US) — Mice genetically programmed to develop prostate cancer had smaller, slower growing tumors when fed a walnut-rich diet, report researchers.

University of California, Davis scientists, working with colleagues at the USDA Western Regional Research Center in Albany, California, assessed tumor size in mice fed different diets for 9, 18 and 24 weeks.

Vitamin B6 may beat malaria pathogen

Andrew Duff-Southampton — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:13:26 +0000

U. SOUTHAMPTON (UK) — New research on vitamin B6 could lead to drugs that target the pathogen that causes malaria.

The University of Southampton research will enable scientists to learn more about the nature of the enzymes required for vitamin biosynthesis by the malaria-causing pathogen Plasmodium.

Fiber may raise risk of intestinal disease

Patric Lane-UNC — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:54:44 +0000

UNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — Eating a high fiber diet does not lower the risk of developing a disease of the large intestine, according to a new study that finds the opposite appears to be true.

Diverticulosis—in which pouches develop in the colon wall—affects about one-third of adults over age 60 in the United States. Although most cases are asymptomatic, when complications develop they can be severe, resulting in infections, bleeding, intestinal perforations, and even death. Health care associated with such complications costs an estimated $2.5 billion per year.

Pan-fried fish may raise cancer risk

Alison Trinidad-USC — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:24:30 +0000

USC (US) — The type of fish and how it is cooked may affect whether the fish offers protection against—or raises the risk for—developing prostate cancer, new research shows.

Previous studies have emphasized the health benefits of dark fish—rich in omega-3 fatty acids—linking their consumption to the prevention of various diseases.

Tongue has a taste for fat

Jim Dryden-WUSTL — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:48:01 +0000

WASHINGTON U.-ST. LOUIS (US) — Taste buds on the tongue recognize and favor fat, according to a new study that finds variations in a gene can make people more or less sensitive to the taste.

Published online in the Journal of Lipid Research, the study is the first to identify that people with a particular variant of the CD36 gene are far more sensitive to the presence of fat than others.

Parents, not doctors, recall weight advice

Phyllis Brown-UC Davis — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:36:58 +0000

UC DAVIS (US) — Parents of overweight children and their pediatricians disagree about the extent of weight-related counseling that occurs during visits, researchers say.

The study, which involved the use of parent questionnaires, audiotapes of well-child visits during which the weight-management counseling was delivered, and examination of electronic health records, found parents tend to over report the counseling delivered on weight, nutrition, and physical activity, while doctors tend to under report the same information.

Kids got broccoli blues? Add more color

Susan Lang-Cornell — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:48:14 +0000

CORNELL (US) — Parents of picky eaters take note: Children are most attracted to plates that have a wide variety of foods and colors.

For a new study, published in the journal Acta Paediatrica, researchers presented 23 preteen children and 46 adults with full-size photos of 48 different combinations of food on plates that varied by number of items, placement of entrée, and organization of the food.