Starting Exercise Programs Just Might Lead People To Run Away From Fatty, High Calorie Foods, Researchers Say
A small study in England reinforces the idea that exercise should be part of the plan to lower weight. Some of the new exercisers, while saying they still like cookies, were less likely to want the cookie. Public health news is on food label information, rare diseases, clinical trial data, sodium in sports drinks, eating disorders, cognitive screening debate, and E. coli outbreaks, as well.
The New York Times:
How Exercise Might Affect Our Food Choices, And Our Weight
Taking up exercise could alter our feelings about food in surprising and beneficial ways, according to a compelling new study of exercise and eating. The study finds that novice exercisers start to experience less desire for fattening foods, a change that could have long-term implications for weight control. The study also shows, though, that different people respond quite differently to the same exercise routine and the same foods, underscoring the complexities of the relationship between exercise, eating and fat loss. (Reynolds, 2/26)
The New York Times:
Are Foods Labeled ‘Low Sugar’ Misleading Consumers?
The label on Honest Tea’s organic peach-flavored iced tea has a reassuring message for people who want a beverage that is not too sugary: “Just a Tad Sweet,” the label states. But a single serving of the beverage, the amount in one 16.9 ounce bottle, has 25 grams of added sugar, equivalent to six teaspoons of table sugar. That is half the daily limit for added sugar intake recommended by the federal government. (O'Connor, 2/26)
Stat:
College Student With Progerioa Is Heartened By Medical Advances
In many ways, Emerson College freshman Meghan Waldron seems like a lot of students in Boston. She adores pop star Ed Sheeran. She loved the latest film version of “Little Women” and wants to see it 10 more times... She also has progeria, one of the world’s rarest diseases. The fatal genetic disorder causes premature aging and has been identified in only 169 children and young adults alive today worldwide, although researchers estimate that as many as 400 have it. (Saltzman, 2/25)
Stat:
Clinical Trial Sponsors Must Publish 10 Years Of Missing Data, Judge Rules
For years, government research agencies have misinterpreted a law that requires them to collect and post clinical trial data, a federal judge ruled this week, leaving behind a 10-year gap in data that now must be made publicly available. Now, potentially hundreds of universities, drug companies, and medical device manufacturers are on the hook to release previously unpublished data. (Facher, 2/25)
Reuters:
Sports Drinks Cannot Assure Healthy Sodium Levels In Endurance Athletes
Elite runners often turn to sports drinks to keep essential minerals in balance, but a new study shows these products can actually contribute to a dangerous medical condition when temperatures are high. The best way to avoid life-threatening hyponatremia - when the body's sodium levels dip dangerously low - is by training better, keeping fit, and avoiding excess water or sports drink consumption, researchers report in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. (2/25)
NBC News:
Stereotypes Around Eating Disorders Keep People From Seeking The Treatment They Need
Lauren Chan has been in the fashion industry long enough to have a strong opinion about how it contributes to disordered eating. The 29-year old is a former plus-size model and editor at Glamour magazine and says that fashion, entertainment and the media perpetuate the myth of an idealized body type that for most people, is unattainable. “We see 5,000 ads a day, all featuring the same kind of image,” she says. “The message we receive is clear, but if you look around at the people in your life, very few look like that.” (Loudin, 2/25)
Kaiser Health News:
U.S. Medical Panel Thinks Twice About Pushing Cognitive Screening For Dementia
A leading group of medical experts on Tuesday declined to endorse cognitive screening for older adults, fueling a debate that has simmered for years. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said it could neither recommend nor oppose cognitive screening, citing insufficient scientific evidence of the practice’s benefits and harms and calling for further studies. The task force’s work informs policies set by Medicare and private insurers. Its recommendations, an accompanying scientific statement and two editorials were published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Graham, 2/25)
Kaiser Health News:
Trusting Injection Drug Users With IV Antibiotics At Home: It Can Work
Two mornings a week, Arthur Jackson clears space on half of his cream-colored sofa. He sets out a few rolls of tape and some gauze, then waits for a knock on his front door. “This is Brenda’s desk,” Jackson said with a chuckle. Brenda Mastricola is his visiting nurse. After she arrives at Jackson’s home in Boston, she joins him on the couch and starts by taking his blood pressure. Then she changes the bandages on Jackson’s right foot. (Bebinger, 2/26)
Chicago Tribune:
FDA Sends Warning Letter To Jimmy John's
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter Tuesday to sandwich maker Jimmy John’s and one of its suppliers, saying vegetables the restaurant chain served in the past seven years are linked to five outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella. The agency accused Champaign-based Jimmy John’s of “engaging in a pattern of receiving and offering for sale adulterated fresh produce,” including clover sprouts and cucumbers. (Jimenez, 2/25)
