NEWS Breaks NEWSBREAKS INCLUDE: . These estimates were ✔ Reduces Your Waist but Not Your Risk Factors based on body measurements of nearly 10,000 adults and children. ✔ Average Blood Pressure Levels on Rise in American Kids was defined as having a ✔ , or a measure of Carbohydrate Confusion weight relative to height, of 30 or above. Nearly 31.5% of children Millions of Children Could Be at Washington University School of ages 6 through 19 were overweight Saved With Better Medicine report. in 2001-2002, and another 16.5% Although many Americans are con- The research, published in the were seriously overweight. These cerned with the growing obesity epi- New England Journal of Medicine, numbers don’t bode well for the demic, few recognize how large a showed study volunteers lost 12% of younger generation. problem undernutrition continues to their body weight, most of it fat tis- be worldwide. Undernourishment sue. However, their blood pressure, Antioxidants in Fruit causes more than half of all the insulin levels, and cholesterol levels Protect Eye Health deaths of children around the world, remained unchanged, suggesting that An apple a day may really keep the including deaths by diarrhea, pneu- liposuction was no substitute for doctor away, especially in those over monia, malaria, and measles. weight lost through lifestyle changes. 65 who are concerned about vision In a recent study published in the Liposuction is performed on loss. A new study in the Archives of American Journal of Clinical Nutri- nearly 400,000 people in the United Ophthalmology shows that antioxi- tion, researchers from Johns Hop- States each year, making it the most dants and carotenoids, which are kins University and the World common cosmetic operation in the responsible for the yellow, orange, Health Organization say that poor country. However, although the and red pigments found in fruit, may nutrition leaves children vulnerable procedure reduces the number of prevent age-related maculopathy to infections that would not nor- fat cells, it doesn’t reduce the size of (ARM), which is the leading cause of mally be fatal. They estimate that if the remaining cells. And there is vision loss in people 65 and older. all children worldwide were fed an plenty of fat to go around! The researchers found that fruit adequate , approximately 1 mil- consumption was inversely associ- lion deaths a year from pneumonia, Carbohydrate Confusion ated with risk of ARM, and partici- 800,000 from diarrhea, 500,000 Many doctors and dietitians seem pants who ate 3 or more servings per from malaria, and 250,000 from just as confused about carbs as the day of fruit had a 36% lower risk of measles would be prevented. public is. For every study that states ARM compared to participants who Almost 53% of all deaths in that carbohydrates are beneficial, reported eating less than 1.5 servings young children worldwide are another says that they are responsi- per day. These findings were similar attributable to undernutrition ble for and high blood for men and women, and they were (much of it protein-calorie malnu- sugar levels. A recent study in the not seen in those who consumed a trition), with nearly 45% of measles Annals of Internal Medicine found similar amount of vegetables. deaths and more than 60% of that for a 6-month period, dieters in deaths from diarrhea associated a low-carb plan lost more weight Average Blood Pressure Levels with low weight and poor nutrition. than participants in a low-fat regi- on the Rise in American Kids men. However, in the same journal, Systolic and diastolic blood pres- Liposuction Reduces Your Waist other research showed that after a sure levels for children and but Not Your Risk Factors year, both the low-carb and low-fat teenagers have risen substantially Although we all know shedding groups had lost about the same since 1988, according to a new those extra pounds is good for our amount of weight. It’s calories! study, and blame for part of the rise health, it appears as if the way in is the increasing prevalence of over- which we lose that weight is impor- No Decline in Obesity Rates weight and obesity among young- tant, too. Procedures such as lipo- Latest figures show no decline in sters. The study—Trends in Blood suction may reduce body fat, but the national obesity rates, according Pressure Among Children and Ado- they don’t trim the risk of heart dis- to a study in the Journal of the lescents—appears in the May 5, ease or the same way that American Medical Association. Cur- 2004, issue of The Journal of the losing weight the ordinary way with rently, 31% of adults and 17% of American Medical Association a caloric deficit would, researchers children in America are seriously (JAMA). The study was conducted

152 Nutrition Today, Volume 39 • Number 4 • July/August NEWS Breaks

by researchers at Tulane University overweight with . A his- November 18, 2004. 2004 INACG in New Orleans, La, and the tory of sleep patterns and irregular- Symposium: Iron Deficiency in National Heart, Lung and Blood ity should be obtained in a child Early Life Challenges and Progress. Institute of the National Institutes with . Lima, Peru. For more information of Health in Bethesda, Md. Treatment for children with high go to: https://inacg.ilsi.org. “The increases found by the blood pressure usually consists of January 9-12, 2005. California JAMA study in children’s average lifestyle changes, including weight Conference. San blood pressures may seem small, management, physical activity, and Diego, Calif. For more information, but they can have serious conse- dietary changes. Drug therapy is go to: http://nature.berkeley.edu/ quences,” said Dr Jeffrey Cutler of used only if needed after trying mailman/listinfo/weightandhealth. the NIH and coauthor of the JAMA these other remedies January 30-February 2, 2005. paper. “Previously published data Tables from the new clinical prac- Nutrition Week 2005. The Ameri- indicate that, for each 1 to 2 mil- tice guidelines on hypertension in can Society for Parenteral and limeters of mercury rise in their sys- children and adolescents are avail- Enteral Nutrition. Orlando, Fla. tolic blood pressure, children face a able at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/ guide- For more information, go to: 10% greater risk of developing lines/hypertension/child_tbl.htm. www.nutritionweek.org. hypertension as young adults.” High blood pressure is a major risk Calendar September 19-25, 2005. 18th International Congress of Nutrition. factor for heart disease and the chief August 28-21, 2004. International Durban, South Africa. For more risk factor for stroke. Hypertension Society for Peritoneal Dialysis and information, go to: www.puk.ac.za./ in youngsters is based on the range the European Peritoneal Dialysis iuns. of blood pressures in healthy chil- Meeting. Amsterdam, the Nether- dren. The new guidelines continue to lands. For more information: April 23-26, 2006. The 4th Asian define normal blood pressure as the www.ispds-europd2004.org. Congress of Dietetics: Nutrition and systolic and diastolic blood pressures Dietetics in a Borderless Society. September 23-25, 2004. Dietary that are less than the 90th percentile Manilla, Philippines. For more infor- Factors and Cancer Prevention: for that sex, age, and height. To be mation, e-mail: [email protected]. consistent with the latest blood pres- Current Premises and Future Promises. Rochester, Minn. For September 8-11, 2008. 25th sure guidelines for adults, * the International Congress of Dietetics. guidelines for children include a pre- more information, go to: www.hi.umn.edu/signup.html. Yokohama, Japan. For more infor- hypertension category. Children with mation, fax: +81-3-3295-5165. a systolic or diastolic pressure equal October 2-5, 2004. American to or greater than the 90th percentile Dietetic Association Food and but less than the 95th percentile are Nutrition Expo. Anaheim, Calif. Calcium May Lower Risk considered prehypertensive. Hyper- For more information, go to of Colon Cancer tension continues to be defined as a www.eatright.org. Doctors recommend taking cal- systolic or diastolic pressure equal to October 14-15, 2004. World Food cium to protect your bones, but or greater than the 95th percentile. Prize International Symposium. Des they soon may recommend it to The new guidelines describe Moines, Iowa. For more informa- protect your stomach as well. hypertension and prehypertension tion, go to: www.worldfoodprize.org. Recent research from Dartmouth as significant health issues in the Medical School indicates that the October 16, 2004. World Food Day. young resulting from the marked benefits of calcium may extend increase in the prevalence of over- November 7-12, 2004. 7th Confer- beyond bone health. Calcium sup- weight children. Overweight and ence of the International Society for plementation has been shown to high blood pressure are components Trace Element Research in Humans. decrease the risk of all colorectal of the insulin resistance syndrome, a Bangkok, Thailand. For more infor- polyps, particularly those associ- combination of multiple risk factors mation, go to: www.angelfire.com/ ated with invasive cancers. for and type nd/isterh/meeting.html. The study, which appears in the 2 diabetes. Therefore, the guidelines November 15-17, 2004. 22nd Journal of the National Cancer Insti- call for a comprehensive assessment IVACG Meeting: Vitamin A and the tute, provides evidence that calcium of cardiovascular risk factors. The Common Agenda for Micronutri- supplementation may be an inex- new guidelines also note the associ- ents. Lima, Peru. For more informa- pensive and safe way to reduce the ation of high blood pressure and tion, go to: http://ivacg.ilsi.org. risk of colorectal polyps.

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