http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (Medical Xpress) -- A University of Alberta study has revealed challenges that schools are working through, to adopt healthier food choices for their students in an effort to meet government guidelines for nutrition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-barriers-nutrition.html Health Thu, 24 May 2012 09:10:01 EST news257067883 Married men will eat their peas to keep the peace, but many aren't happy about it, and may even binge on unhealthy foods away from home. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-food-romantic-dinner-couples-key.html Health Tue, 22 May 2012 12:50:11 EST news256909797 Shop the perimeter and avoid center isles, don't buy anything at eye level, investigate the label. Grocery shopping can be a daunting task. Moreover, studies have shown that Americans obtain most of their food from grocery stores and their shopping habits are predictive of their consumption of fruits, vegetables, and sugared soft drinks. Many grocery stores are taking an active role in helping consumers make healthful food choices. You may have even seen your grocery store use a nutritional score placed right on the shelf's price label for a food item. The question asked in a study published in the May/June 2012 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior is "who knows how to use these grocery store shelf signs?" http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-healthy-grocery-shopper.html Health Thu, 03 May 2012 14:10:01 EST news255272039 "Come and get it!" A phrase historically proclaiming that the communal meal is ready, is heard all too infrequently among contemporary American households, especially as children get older. Indeed, over 40% of the typical American food budget is spent on eating out, with family meals often being relegated to holidays and special occasions. Aside from negative effects on the family budget, eating out has been shown to be generally associated with poor food choices and bad health. Of particular interest to public health experts is growing scientific evidence that fewer family meals may translate to increased obesity risk and poor nutritional status, especially among children. But getting this message out to busy parents in a way that will convince them to spend more time at the dining room table with their children is problematic at best. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-additional-evidence-families-healthiest.html Health Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:50:01 EST news254397915 Genetics researchers have identified at least two new gene variants that increase the risk of common childhood obesity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-largest-ever-genome-wide-genes-common-childhood.html Genetics Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:00:23 EST news253087071 Calorie listings on fast-food chain restaurant menus might meet federal labeling requirements but don't do a good job of helping consumers trying to make healthy meal choices, a new Columbia University School of Nursing (CUSON) study reports. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-fast-food-menu-calorie-legally-compliant.html Health Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:14:25 EST news249225255 With 1 in 5 overweight Americans suffering from chronic kidney disease, Cleveland Clinic researchers analyzed the nutritional and lifestyle habits of overweight adults, finding that their methods included diets and diet pills that may cause further kidney damage. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-overweight-americans-kidney-weight-loss.html Overweight and Obesity Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:10:01 EST news249051222 Fish oil is an underused ingredient in the food industry because of its association with a strong odor and aftertaste. A new study in the February issue of the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, shows that fish oil can be added to goat cheese to deliver high levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids without compromising taste or shelf-life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-food-scientists-fortify-goat-cheese.html Health Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:09:33 EST news248620162 Children are naturally drawn toward gaming and other types of technology, creating an ideal opportunity to design interactive media tools to encourage physical activity and promote healthy eating habits, according to an article in a special issue of the journal Childhood Obesity celebrating the second anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative. The issue includes a special Foreword by Mrs. Obama and is available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/chi. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-games-interactive-media-powerful-tools.html Health Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:35:25 EST news248362518 Attending a financially poor school may have more of an effect on unhealthy adolescent weight than family poverty, according to Penn State sociologists. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-impoverished-schools-parent-key-factors.html Health Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:45:25 EST news247322719 A simple program involving color-coded food labeling and adjusting the way food items are positioned in display cases was successful in encouraging more healthful food choices in a large hospital cafeteria. The report from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers will appear in the March American Journal of Public Health and has received early online release. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-color-coding-rearranging-food-products-healthy.html Health Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:00:06 EST news246208925 FoodSwitch, an Australian-first iPhone app, has been launched recently to help shoppers make healthier food choices in the supermarket and reduce high levels of fat, salt and sugar from their diets. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-healthy-choices-easy-shoppers.html Health Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:31:25 EST news246180674 While most people only gain about a pound of weight during the holiday season, that pound may never come off, increasing the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese and the risk of related health problems, according to a National Institutes of Health study. University of Missouri dietitians recommend families maintain healthy diet and exercise habits during the holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-happy-feel-good-holiday-seasons-healthy.html Health Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:11:45 EST news241189898 (Medical Xpress) -- A new national study of eating out and income shows that fast-food dining becomes more common as earnings increase from low to middle incomes, weakening the popular notion that fast food should be blamed for higher rates of obesity among the poor. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-fast-food-popular-middle-incomes.html Health Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:09:57 EST news239008170 Directly advertising food items to children worries many parents and health care providers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have expressed concern about the negative impact of advertising on children's healthy food choices. A new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics explores the relationship between fast food advertisements, parental influence, and the food choices made by children. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-children-food-choices-affected-advertising.html Health Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:41:07 EST news237091254 The National Survey of Children's Health indicates 31 percent of Missouri children are overweight or obese; yet, the state lacks physical activity requirements for students and nutritional standards for school meals beyond those recommended by the USDA. A new study from the University of Missouri shows Jump Into Action (JIA), a school-based physical activity program, is effective in changing unhealthy youth behaviors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-students-action-health.html Health Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:17:46 EST news236431053 The thought of toys being given out as part of children's meal deals might be easier to swallow, and better for you, if the toys are part of a collectible set and tied to healthy, nutrition-rich food choices. Who says? Kids and their parents do. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-toys-lure-children-healthy-food.html Health Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:50:10 EST news235644587 (Medical Xpress) -- More than seven in 10 low-income families in a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln study struggled to reach adequate levels of nutrition in their diet, researchers said. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-low-income-families-diets-fall-short.html Health Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:13:22 EST news227956360 People generally worry about who their neighbors are, especially neighbors of our children. If high-fat food and soda are nearby, people will imbibe, and consequently gain weight. Or will they? With students' health at risk, a study in the July/August 2011 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior explores the influence food store locations near schools has on the student risk of being overweight and student fast-food and sweetened beverage consumption. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-comfort.html Health Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:14:06 EST news227330026