Indirect Effects From Menu Labeling Can Improve The Public’s Health
Just this past November, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released sweeping final rules requiring that calorie information be posted on menus, menu boards, and vending machines. The regulations expand the proposed rule to include a wide variety of food outlets with more than 20 locations: quick service and table service restaurants, grocery stores and superstores, movie theaters, amusement parks, ice cream shops, takeout and delivery, vending machines, and even alcoholic beverages.
In the press release for the final rule, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg stated, “making calorie information available on chain ...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - February 24, 2015 Category: Health Management Authors: Sara Bleich, Julia Wolfson, and Marian Jarlenski Tags: All Categories Consumers Nonmedical Determinants Obesity Policy Prevention Public Health Source Type: blogs
Food and Cancer—A Complicated Relationship
Marian L. Tupy
Cancer, we are told, lurks everywhere: popcorn, non-organic fruit, canned tomatoes, processed meats, farm-raised salmon, potato chips, foods (salted, pickled, and smoked), GMOs (of course), candy, artificial sweeteners, diet soda, alcohol, red meat; even white flour can kill you.
Enough already!
In fact, a recent study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine contends that most occurrences of cancers are simply a result of bad luck. To wit, “Plain old bad luck plays a major role in determining who gets cancer and who does not, according to researchers who found that tw...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - January 2, 2015 Category: American Health Authors: Marian L. Tupy Source Type: blogs
Genetic Modification Cuts Acrylamide In Fried Potatoes
Safer french fries thru science. What I'd also like to see potatoes genetically engineered to not build up solanine (the poison that makes potatoes green). As more poisons in plants are identified and plant genetic engineering becomes cheaper to do we should alter more crops to be safer to eat.... (Source: FuturePundit)
Source: FuturePundit - November 8, 2014 Category: Research Authors: Randall Parker Source Type: blogs
The weight loss project – dietary choices
Yesterday I blogged about carbohydrates. As I have reflected and read about carbohydrates over the past 24 hours, I also thought about my food choices doing my weight loss project.
Losing weight and maintaining ones new weight usually involves both increasing movement and modifying how one eats. Without having a plan, as I reflect, decreasing carbohydrates has dominated my modification. My maintenance diet is not “low carb” but rather “decreased carb”.
Perhaps some specific choices will clarify my choices. I love the occasional hamburger. Over the past months I have chosen to eat hamburgers app...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - September 4, 2014 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: rcentor Tags: Fitness & weight Source Type: blogs
Decreasing carbs – an idea whose time has come
This article is big news. It is the most emailed article currently at the NY Times – A Call for a Low-Carb Diet That Embraces Fat.
Despite all the hoopla over this article, the idea is not new. Gary Taubes wrote about this concept previously – Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It. Denise Minger’s brilliant investigative book – Death by Food Pyramid: How Shoddy Science, Sketchy Politics and Shady Special Interests Have Ruined Our Health addressed this issue also.
As the nutrition evidence accumulates, we are learning that eating fatty foods really does not have a negative impact on cholesterol ...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - September 3, 2014 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: rcentor Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs
Hawaiian vacation, day 3
Due to requests that I re-start my vacation series, I now present my summary of our trip to the islands. For those who haven't read my past vacation archives, they can be found here. We had a pretty spectacular view of the ocean, overlooking the island of Lanai in the distance:Nice, huh? I sat out there a lot, drinking beer & mai-tais and reading CME. Doing work-related stuff isn't so bad when ETOH and a great view are in the mix.Watching birds all over the balcony (they're on the lookout for PBJ crumbs) gives you pause to realize that these are the last of the therapods - the biological line that once inclu...
Source: Doctor Grumpy in the House - August 27, 2014 Category: Neurologists Authors: Grumpy, M.D. Source Type: blogs
The dilemma of eating locally-sourced foods
In my pediatric nutrition practice, I often preach about getting more fruits and vegetables into the diets of the children I see. Eating more vegetables is a proven way to fight obesity and promote better health.
Sometimes the question of where and how to find healthy food comes up during my conversations with parents. Many of my clients reside in the Bronx, where sometimes the closest vegetable is the pickle on a greasy hamburger or some deep-fried potatoes.
A recent experience I had at a local farmers’ market really got me thinking about how difficult it is for some of my patients to practice what I’m preaching.
Cont...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - August 19, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD Tags: Conditions Obesity Source Type: blogs
Hospital Quality Measures: Value Based Purchasing 2.0 (The Funny Version).
For years, hospital quality measures have been tracked by private and government insurance programs to try and improve the healthcare services received by their beneficiaries. The most recent example is the Value-Based Purchasing Program (VBP) initiative by The Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). How does CMS describe VBP?"Under the Program, CMS will make value-based incentive payments to acute care hospitals, based either on how well the hospitals perform on certain quality measures or how much the hospitals' performance improves on certain quality measures from their performance during a basel...
Source: The Happy Hospitalist - March 14, 2014 Category: Internists and Doctors of Medicine Authors: Tamer Mahrous Source Type: blogs
The weight loss project – my tips
Having now lost more than 30 pounds, I am very close to declaring victory (maybe a few more pounds over the next few months). A colleague has asked me to write my tips as a handout for patients. This is a daunting task, but that has never stopped me!
Weight loss the right way
The weight loss formula is simple and well known. Achieving lasting weight loss remains challenging. The mathematical formula is simple. Weight loss requires burning more calories than we eat. We could potentially lose weight through increased exercise or through decreasing calorie intake. Physicians consistently recommend a combination ...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - February 27, 2014 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: rcentor Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs
Finally a homemade mayonnaise worth writing about! MCT mayo!
I have a love-hate relationship with homemade mayonnaise. I have known about the horrors of conventional mayo, (rancid soybean oil anyone?), not to mention the sugar and poor quality eggs used to make it. I knew I could do better than Hellman's. Until I couldn't do better. I love my Hellman's, (cue 'bring out the Hellman's and bring out the best!), and each time I made homemade mayo it just tasted bad in comparison. Smart me knew that what I had made was greatly superior to the store bought stuff, but man, it was not palatable. Mayo debacle after mayo debacle came in rapid succession. All olive oil? too bitter....
Source: the beautiful diabetic - February 19, 2014 Category: Diabetes Authors: Kathryn Source Type: blogs
Be Honest, Be Grateful: 5 Tips for Staying Positive When Cancer Comes Calling
A cancer diagnosis often wells up emotions of fear, anger and depression. These are completely normal. I felt mostly anger after finding out that breast cancer had come back after almost ten years cancer free. I am determined however to battle cancer with the best attitude I can. For me this is part of being triumphant. I used some of the time in the hospital to develop principles that would help me have the best attitude and make the most of this new breast cancer diagnosis. These are my principals and so far they have been successful. I have been able to sustain a pretty good attitude – I’m winning!
1) Be...
Source: Life with Breast Cancer - February 18, 2014 Category: Cancer Authors: Kathy-Ellen Kups, RN Tags: Breast Cancer Best Attitude Cancer Diagnosis Source Type: blogs
Recent FDA Moves Suggests Agency Is Again Taking Its Role of "Protecting Public Health" Seriously
As a patient with type 1 diabetes, I have found myself at odds with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a number of things the agency has done in recent years (actually since the 1980s), and perhaps even more so in recent years. In fact, I once joked (only halfheartedly) that the acronym "FDA" stood for Fatal Drug Administration. Indeed, for a number of years (under the leadership of chief Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach especially, he pushed for FDA to serve what he called its "clients", meaning the companies that the FDA regulates, rather than protecting public safety). Staff in areas for brand new...
Source: Scott's Web Log - January 28, 2014 Category: Diabetes Tags: 2014 Antibiotics Crisco FDA Trans Fats Source Type: blogs
Recent FDA Moves Suggests Agency Is Again Taking Its Role of " Protecting Public Health " Seriously
As a patient with type 1 diabetes, I have found myself at odds with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a number of things the agency has done in recent years (actually since the 1980s), and perhaps even more so in recent years. & nbsp;In fact, I once joked (only halfheartedly) that the acronym " FDA " stood for Fatal Drug Administration. & nbsp;Indeed, for a number of years (under the leadership of chief Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach especially, he pushed for FDA to serve what he called its " clients " , meaning the companies that the FDA regulates, rather than protecting public safety). & nbsp;Staff in areas for ...
Source: Scott's Web Log - January 28, 2014 Category: Endocrinology Tags: 2014 Antibiotics Crisco FDA Trans Fats Source Type: blogs
Calorie Conundrums
In this study, 25 men and women were divided into three groups, each consuming more than 900 extra calories per day. Each group consumed a different amount of protein. All three groups gained weight, but the group consuming the least amount of protein gained the least amount of weight. But everyone gained fat at roughly the same rate. The conclusions: Calories are what matter as far as weight gain goes, not so much the type of calories.
But a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2010 begs to differ. More than 120,000 men and women were followed in four-year intervals over anywhere from 12 to 20 years. ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - December 9, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Struggles with My Morning Internet Fast
And a New Month Without Refined Carbs
By Leo Babauta
In my 5th month in the Year of Living Without, I tried going without computers or Internet in the morning.
It was more of a struggle than I’d anticipated.
My thinking with this month was that I’d be able to get more writing and reading done, and maybe more stretching and other physical activity, if I banned myself from the Internet before noon. This is actually true, and when I stuck to the ban I got a lot of good writing and reading done.
My problem was that I needed to do certain tasks on the Internet before noon, for work and also personal tasks like ...
Source: Zen Habits - December 4, 2013 Category: Life Coaches Authors: zenhabits Tags: Goals & Motivation Simplicity Source Type: blogs
