NYT: While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales

Hello all!  I ran across this very interesting article and am just sorry that this appeared ONLY on page 11 of the NYT yesterday. It is really quite interesting.  The article describes an organization called Dairy Management, which "teamed up with Domino’s to develop a new line of pizzas with 40 percent more cheese, and proceeded to devise and pay for a $12 million marketing campaign." The problem?? "Dairy Management is a marketing creation of the United States Department of Agriculture — the same agency at the center of a federal anti-obesity drive that discourages over-consumption of some of the very foods Dairy Management is vigorously promoting".  HELP! This just doesn't seem appropriate. Remember, the USDA are the ones who publish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well! Please see the article below. 

The New York Times: While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales, November 6, 2010, By MICHAEL MOSS

Domino’s Pizza was hurting early last year. Domestic sales had fallen, and a survey of big pizza chain customers left the company tied for the worst tasting pies. Then help arrived from an organization called Dairy Management. It teamed up with Domino’s to develop a new line of pizzas with 40 percent more cheese, and proceeded to devise and pay for a $12 million marketing campaign. Consumers devoured the cheesier pizza, and sales soared by double digits. “This partnership is clearly working,” Brandon Solano, the Domino’s vice president for brand innovation, said in a statement to The New York Times. But as healthy as this pizza has been for Domino’s, one slice contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended amount of saturated fat, which has been linked to heart disease and is high in calories.

And Dairy Management, which has made cheese its cause, is not a private business consultant. It is a marketing creation of the United States Department of Agriculture — the same agency at the center of a federal anti-obesity drive that discourages over-consumption of some of the very foods Dairy Management is vigorously promoting.

Urged on by government warnings about saturated fat, Americans have been moving toward low-fat milk for decades, leaving a surplus of whole milk and milk fat. Yet the government, through Dairy Management, is engaged in an effort to find ways to get dairy back into Americans’ diets, primarily through cheese.  Americans now eat an average of 33 pounds of cheese a year, nearly triple the 1970 rate. Cheese has become the largest source of saturated fat; an ounce of many cheeses contains as much saturated fat as a glass of whole milk.

To read the rest, click here:

NYT: While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales

What Exactly Does a 6,190 Calorie Lunch Do to Your Body?

I came across this ABC story that ran a while ago but I just had to share it with you. It actually tells you what happens to your body FOR 6 HOURS after eating an unhealthy meal. Nothing good... and the results are immediate! Check out the 2 minute video. 

After reading a report by a consumer group about the effects of unhealthy food from popular chain restaurants, ABC's Yuji de Nies and Jon Garcia conducted a test to see how eating these foods for lunch would affect their bodies. 

Before they ate lunch, Yunji and Jon had blood samples drawn and an ultrasound done to test the health of their arteries.  They then sat down to a meal of 6,190 calories and 187 grams of saturated fat -- an appetizer, lunch and dessert from a popular chain restaurant. 

To see what happened to their blood and arteries immediately following the meal, watch the clip below.

click here to see the video news story

Wellness = Quality of Life

For those of us personally and professionally committed to wellness, we understand that a comprehensive definition of wellness includes fitness, nutrition, and healthy behaviors such as tobacco avoidance and stress reduction. But for so many others, until recently, wellness simply meant not being sick. 

According to a recent survey by The Hartman Group, wellness has now gone mainstream and is viewed as a marker for quality of life. Their results showed that the majority of consumers who responded included a range of components: physical fitness, stress management, and feeling good about themselves.  

While the definition of wellness will always be tailored to the individual, the good news is that more people are actively seeking wellness, including looking for information and how-to tips. Worksite wellness programs are the perfect opportunity to provide individuals with different levels of interest and participation in wellness behaviors with opportunities to learn about health-promoting behaviors and put them into practice.

Another encouraging finding of the survey was that consumers are more likely to seek foods to prevent disease rather than to treat it. This shows that consumers are focused on maintaining and improving their health, which is a key component of worksite wellness. Emphasizing prevention – taking healthy action to promote and preserve health rather than simply focus on fixing problems once they occur – is not only catering to what employees are looking for, but is also a great way to promote company health, including moral, increased productivity and reduced sick days and healthcare costs.

But while lots of good news was uncovered, the survey points out that not everyone is on board the wellness train. Twenty-five percent of respondents were categorized as being on the ‘periphery’ of wellness, meaning they are least likely to be involved in wellness. The ‘periphery’ approach tends to be more along the lines of avoiding ‘bad’ foods and behaviors as opposed to seeking out healthy choices. While the temptation of wellness enthusiasts and health-promoting products is often to bombard this audience with benefits and reasons why they should act, people don’t want to be ‘preached’ to. The power of worksite wellness programming is that by providing a variety of information and incentives through a range of medium, it provides equal opportunity and benefit to all individuals, no matter where they fall on the wellness spectrum.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS106164844120100824 

Public Health Enemy #1…and 2

An interesting article in the New York Times last week highlighted an inevitable phenomenon occurring in the world of public health…competition for dollars and attention. For years, smoking held the top spot as public health enemy #1, and along with this distinction came tremendous time, effort, and dollars spent in attempt to snuff it out. But in recent years, smoking has been edged out by big competition…obesity.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that obesity, along with obesity-related healthcare costs, seems to garner the overwhelming majority of health-related media attention. And as this article points out, the prevention and research dollars have followed suit. As an example, one major source of private funding for public health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who has spent two decades helping to reduce the nation’s smoking rate by almost half, has shifted their priorities in recent years to focus on childhood obesity. In fact, according to the article, the foundation spent nearly 15 times more on anti-obesity funding than anti-tobacco funding last year.

Some experts believe the shift in attention and funding is warranted, given that smoking rates have been driven down by previous efforts, while obesity rates have been rapidly rising. But anti-smoking advocates fear that the drastic shift will erode previous success while there is still much progress to be made.

The good news is, while there will always be competition for government dollars and research funding, individuals, families, schools and employers don’t have to choose. Rather, choosing to make overall wellness a priority means covering all the bases – including nutrition, smoking cessation, fitness, stress reduction and more. According to the American Heritage Medical Dictionary, wellness is “the condition of good physical, mental and emotional health, especially when maintained by an appropriate diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications.”

So by definition, wellness is an all-encompassing approach to health. Comprehensive worksite wellness programming allows participants to take positive steps in the areas where they struggle the most and rewards employers with healthier, happier employees, which translates to healthcare and productivity savings. So leave the competition for the sports field - choosing wellness is a win-win and one thing we can all agree upon!

Five Tips for a Healthy and Delicious Fourth of July BBQ

1. Have guests asking where’s the beef? This Fourth of July celebrate America’s birthday by ensuring all your guests have many more of their own! Skip the red meat (burgers, sausages and steaks) and replace it with lean protein such as skinless chicken or black bean burgers. Skip the saturated fat, without skimping on taste.

Spicy Black Bean Burger
• 1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup dry bread cumbs
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup bottled chunky salsa
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
Using fork, mash beans in medium bowl. Mix in onion, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons salsa, cumin and hot pepper sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Using moistened hands, shape bean mixture into two 3- to 4-inch-diameter patties. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Brush barbecue rack with oil. Grill burgers until heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Grill cut sides of buns until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer burgers to bottom halves of buns. Spoon 1/4 cup salsa over each. Cover with tops of buns.

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/ 


2. Flip the Chips.
Potato chips and tortilla chips seem to be a staple at every summertime barbeque. This year, skip the added fat and flip your chip. Choose a lighter version of your favorite chips, try popchips™ a new chip that is neither baked nor fried, but popped into existence, there are so many flavors to chose from that none of your guests will even miss the traditional potato chips.

http://www.popchips.com/


3. Raise the veggies!
Vegetables are a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Not only are they healthul and delicious, but they are the perfect side to have at every barbeque because they fill you up without as many calories as other sides such as potato and cheesy macaroni salads. If you’re invited to a barbeque this weekend and can’t show up empty-handed try this cabbage slaw, it’s got lots of healthful fiber and a gorgeous color to boot! This delightfully light, summer salad is very satisfying due to the “creamy” dressing. The peanut butter does kick in some calories so don’t sit down and eat the whole bowl, share with friends.

Red Cabbage Slaw with Peanut Dressing
• 6 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1/4 cup cubed fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3-7 tablespoons of water
Shred cabbage with a knife, cutting it very thin. Shred carrots and slice green onions. Place all veggies in a big bowl. Peel and rinse garlic. Use a garlic press or finely chop garlic. Add to food processor. Wash and coarsely chop fresh ginger into chunks/cubes. Don’t peel it. Add to food processor. Food process until ginger is finely chopped. Add sugar, peanut butter, and vinegar to food processor. Process until mixed. Gradually add water to food processor until dressing is desired consistency (I use about 5 tablespoons of water). Food processing should whip the dressing into a creamy texture. Pour/scrape dressing onto salad. Toss. Serve immediately or put in fridge for later (it will stay crispy for at least three days). Makes about 7 cups. One cup of this red cabbage salad has 116 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, and 4 grams of protein.

Source: http://chetroy.com/healthyvegan/?p=168

4. Provide your guests with refreshment, not a gut.
Summertime drinks, while tasty, can supply a huge chunk of your daily calorie intake. Considering that a 12 ounce margarita has over 560 calories and a 12 ounce pina colada has over 650 calories and more than 6 grams of saturated fat (a Big Mac has 10g of saturated fat), these drinks are more on par with decadent dessert than a drink with dinner or lunch. At this year’s barbeque be sure to provide your guests with plenty of nonalcoholic drink choices: seltzer water, 100% fruit juices and cold herbal teas. And if alcohol must be on the menu, provide lower calorie options like light beer and wine spritzers.


5. Get Fruity- Fruit is the perfect summer dessert…
If it’s available. It’s amazing how fast fruit salad gets gobbled up at a barbeque, but sadly it is often forgotten. Making a fruit salad is simple even if you’re pressed for time. Cut up a watermelon, pineapple and wash a bunch of grapes- this will be the base of your salad. Next, go to any salad bar with a fruit section. Here you will be able to put together a colorful salad with all the fruits that can be more time consuming to chop up like cherries and kiwifruit. Having this sweet treat will is a great alternative to ice cream and other high fat desserts that often show up at Fourth of July celebrations.

Over the course of 10 years, an average of 4.95 billion dollars can be saved through well run worksite wellness programs!

Prevention! Prevention! Prevention!!

In a new report issued by Healthways Center for Health Research, researchers estimate that over the course of 10 years, an average of 4.95 billion dollars can be saved through chronic disease prevention such as those provided by worksite wellness programs.

The researchers used a method of forecasting called standard actuarial modeling, wherein they evaluated the progression of health care costs based on projected increases in demand. They concluded that preventing chronic disease progression after age 25 in only 10% of people born in 2008 would provide a savings of $180 for each individual for each year through age 64. And, they further estimated that if this strategy could be expanded to reach 25% of this population, savings would reach $470 per individual annually, representing a savings of approximately $945 billion over ten years.

It’s all over the news that healthcare spending is out of control and that prevention is a key factor in changing the landscape! The authors of this recent study report that decreasing the cost of care will ultimately come down to a substantial decrease in the demand for care, through reduction of chronic disease. Health care for people with chronic diseases currently accounts for 75% of the nation’s total health care costs, and this number is expected to increase. Logically, one of the best bets we have for decreasing our health care costs lies in preventative care, and management of chronic disease; exactly what we practice at Wellness Workdays!

There is a lot of evidence that worksite wellness strategies are paying off.

Employers who have implemented wellness programs for employees have experienced short-term medical cost savings three times more than how much they invested in the programs. (Baicker K, Cutler D, Song Z. Workplace wellness programs can generate savings. Health Aff (Millwood). 2010;29(2):304-311.) While it always seems to come down to money, it can’t be denied that healthier individuals lead more fulfilling lives, not only do they live longer, but the years are spent out of the hospital, enjoying the things that make life worth living. Do your company and your employees a favor; invest in worksite wellness programs and watch your spending go down and your employees’ happiness go up!

To read the complete story and review the findings click here

The State of Health of Our Healthcare Advisors!

We look to our healthcare professionals to give us advice, but do they follow their own health messages? And perhaps an even better question is, would you listen to your doctor’s advice, or any other health care professional, if clearly s/he was not following it personally?

I recently read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal focusing on what patients could learn from the way physicians take care of themselves. The article summarized that physicians, as a group, are leaner, fitter and live longer than the average American! What can we learn?

Another thing to keep in mind is that many studies show that doctors who exercise and watch their weight are more likely to counsel patients to do so.

The Physicians' Health Study (PHS), which has followed the health practices of about 25,000 male doctors since 1982, found that male physicians had better cholesterol levels than average: 76% were below 200 mg/d, and only 5% were over 240, compared with 20% of U.S. men aged 60. Only 14% of those male doctors had hypertension, compared with 65% of U.S. adults aged 60.

Perhaps this is because physicians tend to eat more healthfully. Forty three percent of male doctors in the PHS ate fish two to four times a week, and 11% ate it five times a week, which was associated with a 37% lower risk of dying of colorectal cancer. In a more recent survey, doctors in Canada ate 4.8 fruits and vegetables (far more than average Canadians) and drank caffeinated beverages just one to two times a day. And results from the Women Physician's Health Study (WPHS) which surveyed the health practices of 4,500 women doctors in the 1990s indicated that 8% of female doctors were vegetarian compared to 2% to 3% of the U.S. population.

These doctors are not just eating well, they are exercising. More than half of 2,115 Harvard Medical School physicians polled said they exercise for 30-60 minutes at least three times a week. And results of the PHS showed that those who exercised daily were only half as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes as those who didn't exercise.

Eating well and exercise are important to overall health, and so too are health screenings and preventative care, which physicians are more likely to do. When it came to breast health 86% of female ob/gyns aged 48 and over have had a mammogram in the past two years, compared with 70% of women in the U.S. population. Nearly 50% of female physicians in the WPHS said they always or nearly always used sunscreen outdoors (although 22% said they rarely or never did).

Where some doctors could use a hand is with their mental health, because as a profession, they are one of the busiest. When surveyed by the American College of Surgeons in 2008, only 36% of surgeons felt their work schedule left enough time for personal and family life, and only 51% would recommend that their children pursue a similar career. We often think of how our practitioners can enhance our own health, but little reflection is given to the mental health of our doctors. In a survey of 763 practicing physicians in California, 53% reported moderate to severe stress; only 38% described their daily stress as light. Thirteen percent said they used sedatives or tranquilizers, one-third reported little or no exercise and poor sleep and one-fifth worked more than 60 hours per week (compared with 34.5 hours for the average American.)

This article is very interesting and provides a lot of information about what we can learn from our doctors. Here is a link to the full article: Wall Street Journal Article

Take Meds as Directed: The health and financial consequences are drastic

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/05/10/millions_of_patients_skip_drug_doses_or_never_get_prescriptions/

I read a very interesting article several weeks ago about prescription drug misuse A large population of patients are misusing drugs by skipping doses; anywhere from a day here and there, to not filling prescriptions at all. While this problem seems to receive little attention, it is very widespread and the health and financial consequences are drastic.

According to this article there are several reasons individuals are not taking his or her prescriptions:

1. There are just too many medications to keep track of for some patients

2. Unwanted side effects

3. The effects of the drug are not immediate so the patient does not see the need for taking it

Price may also be an issue for many patients. Even if most of a patient’s prescriptions are generic, the cost of so many pills can add up very quickly. When reading this article, this paragraph gave me pause as this is something we speak to our corporate clients about.

“Last month, in the New England Journal of Medicine, a Harvard health economist and the New England Healthcare Institute’s president sketched in stark detail the consequences of patients failing to take their drugs. The behavior spawns hospital stays costing $100 billion a year — stays that could have been averted. And 89,000 deaths from high blood pressure could be prevented annually if hypertension drug regimens were followed.”

This staggeringly high amount of money almost pales in comparison to the amount of money that could be saved by employers and workers if individuals took his or her medication exactly as directed and refilled on time.

According to The Express Scripts 2009 Drug Trend Report, which quantifies and reports changes in drug spending on a year-to-year basis and details the costly effects of irrational behaviors on pharmacy-related costs projects that making simple changes like getting people to take their medicines, exactly as directed, or to refill their prescriptions on time could save employers and their workers as much as $163 billion a year in healthcare costs, i.e. $1 out of every $5 spent on prescription drugs is wasted.

Consider these numbers:

• $106 billion from medical costs is related to non-adherence to therapy (patients failing to take prescribed drugs thus potentially worsening their condition)

• $51 billion in missed opportunities related to lower-cost medication alternatives, both brand and generic.

• $6 billion in missed opportunities related to lower-cost options for delivery of medications.

There are things that you can do as an individual for you and your family:

1. Become educated about your medications and the medications your family members are taking. If you are an employer, be sure that your employees know the importance of filling prescriptions and taking medications exactly as directed.

3. Focus on prevention; change your lifestyle and increase your healthful eating habits so you are less reliant on medications in general.

There are things that you can do as an employer:  A major component of our wellness plan focuses on "consumerism" or self-care...

1. Educate your employees to reduce the number of calls to the Emergency Room, reduce the incidence of preventable diseases, reduce the number of employee sick days, and increase the number of routine exams and preventive screenings.

2. Develop or include a behavior modification component in your existing wellness program to assist your employees to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle changes.

3. Focus on lifestyle change, education, prevention and working towards getting people well so they no longer need their medicine. And for those that do need medicine, create awareness programs to help them manage their chronic issue, whether it is heart disease, diabetes or allergies!

President Obama Signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

On March 23, 2010 President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The new law will permit rewards such as premium discounts of up to 30% of the cost of coverage, for individuals who take an active role in his or her own health management.

There are some great details regarding wellness programs that were outlined in this bill which I'd like to share. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will:

• Provide grants for up to five years for small business employers to use in establishing wellness programs. (Funds appropriated for five years beginning in fiscal year 2011)

• Provide technical assistance and other resources to evaluate employer-based wellness programs.

• Conduct a national worksite health policies and programs survey to assess employer-based health policies and programs. (This study will be conducted within two years following enactment)

• Permit employers to offer employees rewards—in the form of premium discounts, waivers of cost sharing requirements, or benefits that would otherwise not be provided—of up to 30% of the cost of coverage for participating in a wellness program and meeting certain health-related standards. The reward limit may be increased to 50% of the cost of coverage if deemed appropriate.

• Employers must offer an alternative standard for individuals for whom it is unreasonably difficult or inadvisable to meet the original health-related standard. (Effective January 1, 2014)

• Establish ten, state pilot programs by July 2014 to permit participating states to apply similar rewards to companies participating in wellness programs, and expand programs in 2017 if found effective.

• Require a report on the effectiveness and impact of wellness programs. (Report due three years following enactment)

Another exciting detail in the bill is that it will require chain restaurants and food sold from vending machines to disclose the nutritional content of each item. (Proposed regulations issued within one year of enactment)

To learn more, please click on this link: http://healthyamericans.org/assets/files/Summary.pdf

In addition, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a global HR professional organization, has an article on their website that provides important details to take note of: http://www.shrm.org/Publications/HRNews/Pages/WellnessReformBoast.aspx

This is an exciting time for wellness!

Blood Pressure.They Don't Call it the Silent Killer for Nothing!

I read a great story over the weekend in the New York Times Sunday Magazine titled "High Altitude" and wanted to be sure to share it with you. If you have the time, click here to read the entire article.
In summary, a middle-aged woman starts to feel terrible and her discomfort lasts for over a month. In the beginning she felt tired, suffering from fatigue and weakness. Over the course of the month she became weaker, felt like sleeping all the time, had a hard time getting through the day, felt nauseated and had occasional diarrhea.

She went to her primary care doctor of nearly 20 years for some help and was not listened to. She went to a new doctor looking for help and was taken seriously; this new doctor took tests and would be in touch. The day after visiting with the new doctor, the woman went shopping with her daughter and things went from bad to worse quickly. She had a hard time breathing, she could hear her blood pounding, her eyes starting hurting and she rushed to get home. When she got home the phone rang, it was her new doctor asking her to come in right away with her husband. The news was not good - she had to go to the hospital immediately after her appointment with her physician.

Her platelets were low, her kidneys were failing and her blood pressure was 225/115, alarmingly high. After running a series of tests, ruling out some potential diseases as the culprit, it turns out she had been suffering from untreated high blood pressure for years. She had absolutely no history of being treated for hypertension (high blood pressure). The cause for all her issues, it turns out, was malignant hypertension - a physiological crisis seen in people with chronically untreated high blood pressure.

After six months of treatment the woman finally felt better. She is currenty taking two forms of medicine, her vision is better and her energy is up, but her kidneys are still not working properly. If only she had been properly treated in the beginning by her doctor, all this may have been avoided.

Here are the facts according to the story:

• Although only 1 percent of those with hypertension will develop malignant hypertension, high blood pressure is so common that this, mere 1 percent can translate into hundreds of thousands of cases each year;

• High blood pressure is called “the silent killer” because it is usually asymptomatic and leads to other diseases — like heart disease and stroke — that do the killing;

• The current guidelines put a “normal” blood pressure at less than 120/80 and recommend treatment after two readings over 140/90.

How do you know if you are at risk and what steps should you take if you suffer from hypertension? Read on!

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a disease that very often does not have any symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose without regular screening. Fortunately, the screening process is fast, cheap and effective. Be sure to schedule your regular annual physical that includes a blood pressure check. Other places to have your blood pressure checked include, your dentist's office, hospital clinic, school nurse's office, company clinic, pharmacy, or at a health fair.

Are you at risk?

The following risk factors can influence your likelihood of developing hypertension:

Family history- If your parents or siblings have hypertension you are more likely to develop this disease.

Age and gender- As we age, our blood vessels become less elastic, and this increased rigidity can result in elevated blood pressure. Gender combined with age also has influence: A higher percentage of men than women have hypertension until age 45. From ages 45 to 54 and 55 to 64, the percentages of men and women with hypertension are similar. After that, a much higher percentage of women have hypertension than men.

Lack of physical activity- It’s no secret that physical activity influences cardiovascular health, and the absence of it can increase your risk of developing hypertension.

Diet- A diet low in healthful fruit, vegetables and whole grains is often high in processed foods that are both nutritionally deficient and often loaded with sodium. Sodium can increase blood pressure by causing the body to retain water thus increasing the volume of blood that has to be pumped through the body.

Despite “doing everything right”, one can still develop hypertension, so early detection through screening is the best tool to stay healthy. For useful information check out the American Heart Association’s website at http://www.americanheart.org.

Tips for treating hypertension
If you have already been diagnosed with hypertension there are several steps you can take to stat healthy.

Drugs-Take your prescribed medications. Anti-hypertensive agents and diuretics are the most frequently prescribed.

Exercise- Exercise can help reduce blood pressure. Research shows that the higher the blood pressure and less active the person was to begin with, the greater the likelihood that exercise will be effective in reducing blood pressure.

Weight control- If you are overweight, reduce your portion sizes and exercise more to lose weight. Weight loss is the most effective dietary measure you can take to lower your blood pressure if you are overweight.

Potassium- A high potassium intake can help protect against stroke. Foods high in potassium are: bananas, citrus fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and poultry.

Sodium/salt- Individuals who are salt-sensitive should try to reduce their salt or sodium intake. Individuals who eat foods high in salt often happen to eat fewer potassium containing foods. Processed foods are usually high in sodium and low in potassium. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to 2-3 grams (2000-3000 mg) per day.

Calcium- Calcium may be important in both prevention and treatment of high blood pressure. Studies of populations at risk of developing high blood pressure show that a low dietary intake of calcium correlates with a high prevalence of high blood pressure. Calcium supplements have been shown to lower blood pressure in individuals with and without high blood pressure. It’s recommended that you meet the dietary recommendations for calcium intake. Good sources of calcium are low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt and broccoli.

Alcohol- Two or more drinks per day are associated with high blood pressure and strokes. If you drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than one drink per day.

Fat- Fat’s contribution to arteriosclerosis is well known, especially saturated fat. Cutting down on saturated fat intake can reduce the risk of complications associated with high blood pressure (heart disease and strokes).

Other factors- Magnesium appears to protect against high blood pressure, and vitamin C also appears to have a protective role. Good sources of magnesium are dark green vegetables, legumes, whole grains and seafood. Good sources of vitamin C are fruits (citrus, especially) and vegetables.

Overall, weight management, exercise and a healthy diet can help protect against the long-term risks associated with high blood pressure. These tips can also improve quality of life, regardless of your age.

Category Blood Pressure Level from the National High Blood Pressure Education Program

Category:    Systolic  / Diastolic  (mm Hg)

Normal:  <120  / <80

Pre-Hypertension: 120–139 / 80–89

Stage 1 Hypertension: 140–159 / 90–99

Stage 2 Hypertension: 160 / 100
Source: The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

FDA Health and Diet Survey Shows Consumers Reading Food Labels More!

On March 2nd, the FDA released findings from their 2008 Health and Diet telephone survey of more than 2,500 adults in every state and the District of Columbia.

 

Great news, the FDA reported that "more than half of consumers in the United States often read the food label when buying a product for the first time." According to the findings, this is a 10 percent increase from 2002. I can't tell you how often I am asked by clients, friends, family etc. how to read a nutrition label. It can be tricky. But I am thrilled to learn that people are more concerned with what they are consuming.

With regard to how diet can affect health, here are some key findings:

• More U.S. consumers know of the relationship between diet and heart disease. Ninety-one percent knew of this link, an 8 percent jump from 2002. In addition, 62 percent of consumers mentioned fats as a factor related to heart disease, compared to 53 percent in 2002.
• Eighty-one percent of consumers know that certain foods or drinks may help prevent heart disease or heart attacks. This result showed no change from 2002. While fruits and vegetables were most frequently linked with reducing heart disease, fewer people made this link in 2008 than in 2002.
• Consumers' awareness that trans fats in the diet may raise the risk of heart disease nearly doubled over just four years, from 32 percent in 2004 to 62 percent.
• Correct identification that omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of heart disease increased, from 31 percent in 2004, to 52 percent in 2008.
• Knowledge that saturated fat may raise the risk of heart disease was stable: it was 74 percent in 2004 and 73 percent in 2008.

With regard to food labels, some key findings include:

• More than half (54 percent) of consumers said they read a product's label the first time they buy the product. That's a 10 percent increase from 2002.
• Among those who in 2008 reported they read the nutrition label the first time they buy a product
• two-thirds use the label “often” to check how high or low a food is in calories and in substances such as salt, vitamins, and fat
• 55 percent “often” use the label to get a general idea of the food's nutritional content
• 46 percent “often” use the calorie information on the label. Thirty-four percent rarely or never use the calorie information
• Thirty-eight percent of consumers said they use nutrient content claims (such as “low-fat,” “high-fiber,” and “cholesterol-free”) “often”; 34 percent answered “sometimes.”
• When asked if they refer to the label claim of “0 grams of trans fat,” 31 percent said “often” and 36 percent said “sometimes.”

 

It also appears consumers are getting more savvy when it comes to label "claims" which I am happy to see. As I have shared in the past, some of these new "healthy" label endorsements are just false or sometimes paid advertisements! Remember the “Smart Choices” blog post I wrote back in October of 2009? In August of 2009 the FDA requested that the Smart Choices program be suspended because their claims were misleading consumers. If you did not get a chance to read that blog posting I recommend you check it out to see how easy it is to be tricked or misled by retailers in buying “healthy” food.

 

According to the findings:

• 41 percent of consumers believe that all or most of claims such as “low-fat,” “high-fiber,” or “cholesterol-free” are accurate, while 
• 56 percent believe that some or none of them are accurate.

Here are a few tips to help you get started should you be new to reading labels:

 

1. First look at the serving size. The product you are eating may contain fewer than 3 grams of sugar in its 1/2 cup serving, but not if you are eating double or triple that amount.

 

2. After you look at the serving size, see if it's "worth" the calories reported on the label; if not put it back on the shelf

 

3. Check how many grams of saturated fat there are in one serving. Total fat is worth checking out too, but sticking with the American Heart Association's recommendation that less that 7% of calories come from saturated fats is most important to heart health than total fat.

 

4. Look at the grams of fiber. If a product claims to be "high in fiber" there must be at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.

 

5. When looking at the % daily value on the far right of the label, keep in mind that these percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie/day diet. Everyone reading the label will have different needs so adjust these values accordingly

 

Let us know what you think? Do you read the label the first time you buy a new food?

 

These findings appear on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products. Date Posted: March 2, 2010. To see the full survey results click on this link http://www.fda.gov/Food/ScienceResearch/ResearchAreas/ConsumerResearch/ucm193895.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The End of Overeating…

Just last week, Mrs. Michelle Obama announced the launch of her new initiative “Let’s Move” aimed at revamping the way American children eat and play — reshaping school lunches, playgrounds and even medical checkups — with the goal of eliminating childhood obesity within a generation. I applaud her efforts, this is exactly the kind of initiative we need if we want to see change. But it can’t end here.
We find ourselves in a society where portions are out of control and convenience or access to poor choice foods is abundant. Here are the facts: More than 66 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta. I’m sure as you read this you find yourself just as disheartened as me.

Which is why I wanted to share an excellent read by Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler with you: “The End of Overeating?” I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it, although it is not a quick read.

If nothing else, be sure to check out the “Food Industry” chapter where he interviews experts in the field as well as former executives of major national food chains and provides some fantastic quotes and findings, like these:

• The secrets of Cinnabon … The buns are made with 3 different kinds of sugars, and salt to “bring up the flavor” and fat for the “creamy texture, elasticity and richness”. (p74)

• One interesting interview with an industry expert, when asked if the healthy options supplied in the menus were selling well, responded “who cares? ... You’re going to build your image” (p131)

Here is a brief summary provided by the publisher as posted on Amazon.com: “Most of us know what it feels like to fall under the spell of food when one slice of pizza turns into half a pie, or a handful of chips leads to an empty bag. But it’s harder to understand why we can't seem to stop eating even when we know better. When we want so badly to say "no," why do we continue to reach for food?

Dr. David Kessler, the dynamic former FDA commissioner who reinvented the food label and tackled the tobacco industry, now reveals how the food industry has hijacked the brains of millions of Americans. Dr. Kessler cracks the code of overeating by explaining how our bodies and minds are changed when we consume foods that contain sugar, fat, and salt.

Food manufacturers create products by manipulating these ingredients to stimulate our appetites, setting in motion a cycle of desire and consumption that ends with a nation of overeaters. The End of Overeating explains for the first time why it is exceptionally difficult to resist certain foods and why it s so easy to overindulge.

Dr. Kessler met with top scientists, physicians, and food industry insiders. The End of Overeating uncovers the shocking facts about how we lost control over our eating habits and how we can get it back. Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed a nation of overeaters from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast food franchises.

For the millions of people struggling with weight as well as for those of us who simply don't understand why we can't seem to stop eating our favorite foods, Dr. Kessler s cutting-edge investigation offers new insights and helpful tools to help us find a solution.

There has never been a more thorough, compelling, or in-depth analysis of why we eat the way we do. He talks about how our actions become habits which are embedded in our brains so it becomes easier to continue and harder to break from that pattern (like brushing your teeth without thinking about it or tying your shoelaces while carrying on a conversations OR driving home and picking up a coffee and muffin on the way OR having dessert every night). It all becomes easier and more repetitive and harder to change.”

Pick it up at the library or go to Amazon. Let me know what you think.

NYT: Health Care Savings Could Start in the Cafeteria

In case you didn’t catch or have a chance to read the article, Health Care Savings Could Start in the Cafeteria, in a York Times story from last November, I’ve included a link (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/health/policy/29diet.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper) and some interesting points, from the article, here.

1. Helping employees to adopt healthy eating habits can make a huge difference!

"....the potential for health care savings is huge. A study in the January-February 2009 issue of the journal Health Affairs concluded that 75 percent of the country’s $2.5 trillion in health care spending has to do with four increasingly prevalent chronic diseases: obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Most cases of these diseases, the report stated, are preventable because they are caused by behaviors like poor diets, inadequate exercise and smoking."

2. Employers and employees are feeling the pain of the “do nothing” strategy. Companies who are doing wellness well are managing these rising costs better. Several examples are cited in the article.

"....sticker shock is confronting all kinds of employers, which together provide 160 million Americans with health care coverage. But the cost of delivering that insurance has surged 31 percent over the last five years, representing the fastest-growing single corporate expense, according to Towers Perrin, the management consulting firm. Those costs take a huge bite out of the bottom line and hurt employees, many of whom see their paychecks shrink as employers pass along the extra costs."
3. Focus on obesity!
“Obesity alone threatens to overwhelm the system. In a recent study, Kenneth Thorpe, chairman of the department of health policy and management at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, found that if trends continued, annual health care costs related to obesity would total $344 billion by 2018, or more than 20 percent of total health care spending. (It now accounts for 9 percent.)Dr. Thorpe also said that if the incidence of obesity fell to its 1987 level, it would free enough money to cover the nation’s uninsured population.”

As I sometimes say to my dawdling children when we are trying to get a lot accomplished in a short period of time (i.e. getting dressed, brushing teeth, putting on shoes and a jacket before running to the bus stop) “let’s focus!” Here, too, I think we need to focus on tackling obesity. I have often said that if we can help employees lose weight, learn to eat well and live a balanced life, their rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions would diminish as well. In turn, health care spending will decrease! It’s been proven time and again! The data is there!

Bottom line, the “do nothing “strategy isn’t working for anyone. Companies and organizations need to figure ways to bring wellness to the workplace because they are already paying the high price of an unhealthy employee population. And with decades of research documenting real ROI, wellness is a real solution for organizations.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears next to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information. Order a reprint of this article now.
Source: New York Times: Health Care Savings Could Start in the Cafeteria. November 29, 2009.

Check this out -- ME on TV!

Hello friends...

Happy new year! I hope you all had a great holiday season and were able to take some time off and are now facing 2010 completely rejuvenated!

If you are lactose intolerant, you may want to check out a new TV commercial talking about Valio's Real Goodness lactose-free milk, featuring...ME! Me in my new kitchen!

I hope you will check it out even if you don't drink milk. Reps from CBS (WBZ-TV) contacted me because they were looking for a nutritionist in the Boston area to help them with the promotion as Valio (a division of Finlandia Cheese) is making a debut in New England and the US.

The commercial (Link here) has been airing during the last several weeks on WBZ, during the morning news, Jeopardy, Judge Judy and The Office (Steve Carell, if you're listening... I'm a big fan).

Let me know what you think! 

-Debra