Eating For Health

SODAS AND OBESITY:     Last week we noted that New York City banned large sugary drinks.   Mayor Bloomberg is banning super-sized sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces.   Is there a link between sugary drinks and obesity?   Well, the news this week indicates there may be.      Could the obesity epidemic in this country be linked to all the sugary sodas and other sugary drinks we partake of every day? New Research: Research released this week at an obesity conference in San Antonio, Texas indicates that sugary beverages somehow interacts with our genes to promote weight gain.     What did the studies find? ·           Sugar Study One :   33,000 Americans were studied by Lu Qi an assistant professor of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health.  His study found the more sugary drinks you had, the higher your risk of obesity.  If you drink one sugary drink a day or less, your risk of obesity was 35%.  Those who drank one or more sugary drinks a day increas

This week 2 stories highlighted the news in nutrition.   New York City   bans large, sugary drinks .     This story got a lot of coverage across the media.   Mayor Bloomberg took a stance against the supersized sugary drinks.   What actions were taken?             Many food establishments in New York City are being banned from serving sugary beverages in containers larger than 16 ounces.               Food establishments affected by this ban are pizzerias, movie theaters, fast-food restaurants, delis, even the concession stands at Yankee stadium So is this ban which is effective in March, a good or bad thing?   That depends on who you talk to.     Some public health experts support the ban because of America’s growing problem of obesity.   The   Wall Street Journal   noted that the beverage and restaurant industry are opposed to this ban, as are 6 out of 10 people in New York City.     Some establishments are trying to figure out if they are even affected by the ban.

How many times have we heard a parent say, “If you’re good, you’ll get some candy.”   “If you are good, you will get a dessert.”    Or how many parents withhold food as a punishment? "Food Bribes Backfire" writes Jennifer Motl, a registered dietitian.     Why?    She notes that rewarding kids good behavior with sweets and other food can lead to weight problems and overeating.   She cites examples of parents rewarding kids with ice cream if they eat their broccoli.   Or reward them with French fries if they behave.   Some reasons a parent should not use food as a reward:        1.     Fullness vs Hunger:   A child may not be hungry for that candy bar or ice cream but when offered as a reward they may eat it anyway because they have been “good”.   But overeating can lead to becoming overweight.   And too many kids in the U.S. are overweight and obese. But withholding food as a punishment can also lead to overeating.   I have heard parents eat ice cream in front