The EDGE: USDA dietitian says reducing obesity is a community effort

Homemade baby food can be healthy, economical option | Versatile cornmeal boosts flavor and nutrition | Study: Smaller plates mean less food intake for children

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April 8, 2013

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USDA dietitian says reducing obesity is a community effort
Schools, parents and the community must work together to overcome childhood obesity, U.S. Agriculture Department dietitian Mary Jo McLarney said a symposium in New York state. After explaining school-nutrition requirements, McLarney talked about her own experiences as a food-service administrator in Somerville, Mass., where she worked for years to introduce children to healthy foods. Times Herald-Record (Middletown, N.Y.) (tiered subscription model) (4/6)

New Research on Walnuts & Diabetes Risk

Exciting new research from the Harvard School of Public Health on walnuts and type 2 diabetes has published in the Journal of Nutrition. Click here to view the study findings.

Dietary Health

Homemade baby food can be healthy, economical option
Moms find that homemade baby food can be economical, but registered dietitian Marg Kuiper says foods still must be introduced at the appropriate age. Infants should be introduced to a variety of foods over time to test for allergies, and Kuiper says first tastes should be runny and smooth, with thicker or lumpier foods coming when a child is a more experienced eater. Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.D.) (tiered subscription model) (4/7)

Versatile cornmeal boosts flavor and nutrition
Add freshly ground cornmeal to breads, cookies, cakes and batters for a tasty, crunchy kick. Substituting a little cornmeal in place of everyday flour also boosts the dish's nutrition with iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin B. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (4/4)

Science & Research

Study: Smaller plates mean less food intake for children
Approximately 80% of 42 elementary-school students who used adult-sized dishes took an average of 90 more calories of food compared with those who used child-sized dishes, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers noted that children who put more food on their plates were more likely to consume more. DailyRx.com (4/7), Reuters (4/8)

Attention to TV may put teens at greater risk of weight problems
Teens who paid the most attention to the television had a body mass index that averaged 2.4 more points than did those who had the lowest attention levels, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers monitored the time spent by 91 13- to 15-year-olds on other media formats and found no link between BMI and attention paid to video games or computers. DailyRx.com (4/7)

Insufficient sleep linked to increased teenage obesity risk
A study in the journal Pediatrics showed that teens who slept less were more likely to have a higher body mass index than were those who got enough sleep. The link between shorter sleep duration and weight issues was more pronounced among teens who were already overweight or obese, researchers said. DailyRx.com (4/7)

Study links flaxseed to reduced insulin resistance in obese
Overweight or obese participants who took a low dose of flaxseed attained significant improvements in blood glucose levels and insulin resistance, according to a study in Nutrition Research. Neither the high-dose group nor the controls experienced similar benefits, researchers said. NutraIngredients (4/4)

Fitness

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High-intensity workouts can raise the risk of injury
High-intensity interval training is changing how people think about fat burning, but trainer Tony Gentilcore says the trend could lead fitness centers to create cookie-cutter programs that maximize participation without accounting for individual capabilities. Gentilcore says these routines raise the risk of injury to people who are not be able to do high-velocity, technical movements. Forbes (4/5)

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Institutional Foodservice

Restaurants' food is certified as healthy by Fla. hospital
Restaurants are submitting menu recipes to Florida Hospital in Orlando, where dietitians review and certify as healthy those dishes that meet eight criteria, such as being low fat or high fiber. Sherri Flynt of the hospital's Center for Nutritional Excellence said that if menu items do not meet the Healthy 100 program criteria, restaurants get recommendations on ways to improve them. QSRMagazine.com (4/4)