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“Children who were shown images of unhealthy snacks consumed 32 percent more calories compared with the other children – about an extra 90 calories a day.”
March 04, 2019
Study finds children who see social media influencers promote unhealthy food are more likely to adopt bad diets
Ashley May, USA Today
In the fight against obesity, do kids even stand a chance? A new study finds social media influencer promotion of unhealthy food increased children’s immediate food intake. USA Today
March 05, 2019
New recommendations underline health importance of reducing sodium intake
Sabrina Schnur, Boston Globe
The National Academies of Sciences released new recommendations on dietary intake of sodium and potassium Tuesday after 18 months of study, and for the first time tied overuse of sodium, which people typically get in salt, to chronic disease.
The officials said that people whose sodium intake is more than 2,300 milligrams a day should reduce their intake to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
“The more you can decrease the more benefit,” said University of Massachusetts Amherst head of food science Eric Decker, who was one of 13 members of the NAS Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Learn more
Washington Post
They may be tasty, but ultraprocessed foods are not what the doctor ordered. Yet these foods — which are high in salt, sugar and other additives — are an increasingly large part of people’s diets. And now, a new study suggests that these foods may increase the risk of early death.
The research showed that increased consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with a higher risk of death over a seven-year period.
It’s important to note that the study found only an association and does not prove that ultraprocessed food consumption causes premature death. But the researchers hypothesized that these foods could contribute to a shorter life span in a number of ways — for example, by increasing a person’s risk of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
“Ultraprocessed foods consumption has largely increased during the past several decades and may drive a growing burden of noncommunicable disease deaths,” the authors wrote in their study, which was published last week in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. (“Noncommunicable” diseases are those that aren’t infectious and can’t be spread from person to person.)
'Industrial processes'
According to the study, ultraprocessed foods are those that “contain multiple ingredients and are manufactured through a multitude of industrial processes.” Besides sugar, salt, fat and oil, these foods include additives such as flavors, colors, sweeteners and emulsifiers. Examples of ultraprocessed items include packaged snacks; ice cream; candies; energy bars; processed meats; ready-made meals; and packaged cookies, cakes and pastries. Learn more
Eating ‘ultraprocessed’ foods linked with early death
February 6, 2019
Study finds rates rising for six of 12 cancers tied to obesity
Brett Molina, USA Today
The rates for some cancers linked to obesity are rising among young adults in the USA, said a study led by the American Cancer Society.
The study published Sunday in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet Public Healthfound rates rising for six of 12 cancers tied to obesity – colorectal, endometrial, gallbladder, kidney, multiple myeloma and pancreas – from 1995 to 2014.
In some types of cancer, people born in 1980 to 1989 had double the rate of risk at the same age compared with those born in 1945 to 1954, the study said.
"Although the absolute risk of these cancers is small in younger adults, these findings have important public health implications,” study author Ahmedin Jemal, scientific vice president of surveillance and health services research with the American Cancer Society, said in a statement. Learn more