Portrait on the Mantel

In Manchester, Britain’s 3rd largest city with 1/2 a million people residents will begin carrying electronic tracking tags that log how far they run on cycle each day.  The tag will even help track how many calories residents burn.  Those who hit the running trail every morning will be rewarded with coupons at stores and even days off work.

Although this new program may sound a bit Orwellian, in Manchester and 8 other towns’ through England the British government is banking on it to help rein in the nation’s obesity problem.

In an announcement this week, the British government designated the 9 “healthy towns” where commercial marketing techniques and training programs will be used in the battle to trim the public’s waistline.

With this new program, Britain joins the ranks of governments around the world trying to fight rapidly rising obesity rates.  Expanding waistlines have become such an international problem; health experts have coined the term “globesity”, to describe the epidemic.

In Britain, obesity levels are among the highest in Europe.  Over the past decade the obesity rate has risen by 50% and now nearly a 1/4 of British adults are considered obese.

The British Government’s health secretary Alan Johnson described obesity as England’s “biggest health challenge” and has allocated 30 million pounds ($45 million U.S.) to the 9 “healthy towns.”

The money will be used in these pilot cities to develop innovative ways to encourage residents to adopt healthier lifestyles.  In the program is successful, the government plans to implement it at the national level.

The government funding will be administered by town councils and local health authorities who will also dip into their own budgets to run the different programs.

Members of the public taking part in a scheme in Manchester, will be invited to carry one of the electronic tags when they exercise in public parks where the tags can be swiped at access points to log the distance they’ve covered and how many calories they’ve burned.  People will also get points for buying vegetables and other healthy foods.

The tags, which are modeled on retail loyalty card schemes, will also store up points based on how much its owner exercises.  Users can then redeem the points in a special catalog where they can get sports clothing, shoes and other equipment as well as a “healthy” day off at a swimming pool for example.

Funds will be directed into urban farming programs and training regimes to help children lose weight in the northeastern town of Middlesbrough, where nearly 2/3 of all adults and a 1/3 of children are either overweight or obese.

Still those in favor of the program say that some people feel uncomfortable about government intervention when it comes to personal fitness.

“A lot of people think it’s a nanny state idea, that the issue is one relating to the individual,” says Colin Waine of the National Obesity Forum, a charity that has been lobbying for more state action to combat obesity.  But it’s like trying to dry out a drug addict.  You wouldn’t send them back to an environment where drugs are rife and then wonder why they are relapsing.  Unless you tackle the factors in the national diet and change the environment then the problem of obesity will continue.”

But not everyone is optimistic about the new program.  In Tower Hamlets, a neighbourhood in east London, some are skeptical about an awards plan that will attempt to encourage fast food outlets to put more healthy options on the menu.

“It’s a good idea, but the problem is that it would put us out of business if we changed our menu,” says Sidoul Islam, assistant manager of ‘Real Taste’, a fast food restaurant in Tower Hamlets where the most popular dishes are kebabs dripping in transfat and served with french fries.

“We tried putting sandwiches on our menu before, with fillings like tuna and egg mayo, but people just didn’t go for it.  The government needs to start by educating kids at kindergarten.  Our customers are adults and they don’t want to change their diets.”

Rising obesity levels have been blamed on the abundance of fast food outlets a decline in home cocking and active lifestyles and the widespread consumption by the young of carbonated drinks and foods laden with saturated fats.

Nevertheless, public health experts point out that intervention is needed after a report by British government think tank warned of a ‘obesity time bomb.’  On current trends it predicted that 60% of males and 50% of females will be obese by the year 2050.

by B Quinn

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Researchers at Standford University found that patients who had undergone gastric bypass surgery showed improvement in memory, problem solving and attention to detail.

Stomach fat contains harmful chemicals, when released into the bloodstream can cause memory loss.

Experts say losing weight through diet and exercise has the same effect, without the expensive surgery. 

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Sleep problems in children and teens have reached a crisis level in America.  New science shows that these issues are setting the table for obesity, depression, drug abuse and future cardiovascular disease.  Specific biological pathways have now been defined that explain how sleep problems may lead directly to substance abuse.

I can’t think of a single parent who would like their child to be a drug user.  Yet, many parents are unwittingly helping their children along a path to becoming drug users, a problem that is easily preventable with good parenting; if only you know what the real issues actually are.

I’ve been working on the front lines of clinical nutrition for over 20 years and I can assure you that the information in this article is both revolutionary and somewhat earth shattering.  Lets begin by understanding the nature and scope of the problem.

by B J Richards
Teen Sleep Problem

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“It appears that the effect of physical temperature is not just on how we see others, it affects our own behavior as well.  “Physical warmth can make us see others as warmer people, but also cause us to be warmer; more generous and trusting as well.”

by H Hylton; Science says We really are What We Drink

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With America’s obesity problem among kids reaching crisis proportions, even junk food makers have started to claim they want to steer children toward more healthful choices.  In a study released earlier this year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 32% of children were overweight but not obese 16% were obese and 11% were extremely obese.  Food giant PepsiCo, for example points out on its website that “we can play an important role in helping kids lead healthier lives by offering healthy product choices in schools.”  The company highlights what it considers its healthier products within various food categories through a “Smart Spot” marketing campaign that features green symbols on packaging.  PepsiCo’s inclusive criteria – explained here award spots to foods of dubious nutritional value such as Diet Pepsi, Cap’n Crunch cereal, reduced fat Doritos and Cheetos as well as to more nutritious products such as Quaker Oatmeal and Tropicana Orange Juice.

But are wellness initiatives like Smart Spot just marketing ploys?  Such moves by the food industry may seem to be a step in the right direction, but ultimately makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to encourage kids to eat more not less of the foods that fuel their profits, says David Ludwig a pediatrician and the co author of a commentary published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association that raises questions about whether big food companies can be trusted to help combat obesity.  Ludwig and article co author Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University both of whom have long histories of tracking the food industry spoke with U.S. News and highlighted 10 things that junk food makers don’t want you to know about their products and how they promote them.

by A Voiland
10-Things the Food Industry Doesn\’t want You to Know

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Centuries: That’s how long it can take for a plastic bag to decompose in a land fill and some parts of it never disappear.  But what if you could produce a bag that breaks down in months or even weeks and generates biofuel along the way?

Research from Metabolix, a biotechnology firm in Massachusetts, think they’ve found a way to do just that, growing biodegradable plastic within the leaves of genetically engineered switchgrass.  Scientists have grown plastic inside plants before Monsanto did it with the rapeseed plant in the 1990s but Metabolix is the 1st to do it in such an affordable bioenergy crop, offering up the tantalizing prospect of a renewable fuel source that doubles as a petroleum free plastic factory.

The breaktrhough hinges on tweaking bacterial genes to ramp up the chemical synthesis of a nontoxic naturally occurring compound called polyhdroxybutyrate (PHB), which can serve as a green substitute for petroleum based products.  Spliced into the DNA of switchgrass, the genes cause the plant to form granules of plastic that are easy to harvest.  “It’s a finished product,” says Kristi Snell, the director of plant science at Metabolix.  PHB’s durability even at extreme temperatures means that it could one day be grown to meke thermal foam, food packaging and of course, plastic bags all while consuming significantly less energy than the manufacture of standard petroleum based products do.  Best of all, the leftover switchgrass could then be processed into biofuel.

With field tests still a few years off, look for plant grown plastic in consumer products by 2015.

by A Cooper, Popular Science, Dec 2008

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Having a certain body fat to muscle mass ratio is related to athletic performance.  Research has shown that correct portion of muscle mass increases strength, power and agility.

However, to gain lean muscle it is not just about the exercise protocol but nutritional intake and timing.  Research shows 3 out of 4 student athletes may not be getting enough to eat.  It also shows that 70% of the women and 73% of the men are not getting enough total calories, only 81% of the women and 90% of the men are consuming enough carbohydrates and just 68% of the women and 81% of the men are eating enough protein based on USDA guidelines.  Intakes of salt, total fat saturated fat and cholesterol often exceed recommendations even in diets deficient in major components.

 by D Weatherwax-Fall
Body Composition and its Affect on the Sports Performance Spectrum, NSCA Performance Training Journal

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High school sophomores should be ready for college by age 16.  That’s the message from New Hampshire education officials, who announced plans October 30 for a new rigorous state board of exams to be given to 10th graders.  Students who pass will be prepared to move on to the state’s community or technical colleges, skipping the last 2 years of high school.

by K Kingsbury; Should Kids-be able to Graduate after 10th grade

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Diabetes affects 24 million Americans and an increasing number of children.  It can lead to limb loss and heart attacks.  Yet people are more afraid of snakes and flying.

In an online survey by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) conducted in August and released today, people revealed far greater fear of events that are much less likely to affect them.  Percentage of respondents who fear:

• Being in a plane crash: 16%
• Snake bites: 13%
• Being hit by lightening: 5%
• A shark attack: 4%
• Getting a disease: 5%

Further, when asked specifically about diseases, 49% reported a fear of cancer and only 3% cited a fear of diabetes.

Ironically, 1 in 10 adults reports having been diagnosed with diabetes while just 6% have been diagnosed with cancer according to the ADA.

“While the impact of a shark attack, lightening strike or plane crash may be more immediate, the reality is the consequences of mismanaged diabetes can have equally severe consequences that include loss of limbs or even death,” the ADA stated.  “In fact, 491 deaths related to commercial aviation accidents happened in 2007 whereas diabetes contributed to 233,619 deaths in 2005.

Diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.

And, the association notes, many diabetes cases could be prevented if people exercised and ate healthy diets.

Diabetes is growing at an alarming rate with nearly 24 million children and adults living with it and another 57 million Americans at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.  Since 1987, death rates due to diabetes have continued to rise, while the death rates for heart disease, stroke and cancer have declined.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if present trends continue, 1 in 3 children born today will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

“We can no longer sit back and politely tap people on the shoulder to get their attention.  The future of our country and the future of our children is at stake,” said ADA spokesperson Ann Albright.  “The good news is there are steps people with diabetes can take to manage their disease and prevent or delay these serious and deadly complications from developing.”

Online surveys tend no to be as reliable as more formal polling methods.  This one was conducted by Harris Interactive and included 2,424 U.S. residents aged 18 or older.

from LiveScience.com Oct. 28

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Once thought of as a disease of “little old ladies”, osteoporosis is now considered by many researchers as a pediatric disorder that manifests itself in old age.  Peak bone mass and strength, which girls achieve in their 20s predicts future fracture risk.  In other words, the greater the bone mass and strength at the time girls reach their peak, the lower their chance of sustaining an osteoporotic fracture as they grow older.  Research has also shown that the rate at which we accrue bone mineral is highest during late childhood and early adolescence.  This is why it is critical to promote bone healthy behaviors in children and teens.

Studies comparing athletes from different sports have shown the highest bone mineral density values in athletes participating in sports associated with high impact forces, such as in gymnastics, volleyball and basketball and in sports that require variable loads or “odd impact” loads to the skeleton such as in soccer, tennis and European handball.  In addition to impact loading from jumping and sprinting activities bone also adapts favorably to high joint reaction forces from vigorous muscular contractions such as in weightlifting or resistance training.  These types of activities should be considered when planning exercise programs for children and teens.

In addition to the type of exercise to optimize bone mass and strength, several randomized controlled exercise interventions have also provided insight into the frequency and duration of exercise needed to build bone in young girls.  Although an exact exercise prescription for bone health is not known, knowledge gained from these intervention studies can help practitioners plan community exercise programs to promote bone health in children and teens.

by J Nichols, PhD

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