Category: Wellness (Page 15 of 116)

Added Sugar Found In Infant Formulas

June 27, 2012 / Staff

Sugars found in infant formulas are not listed as an ingredient on packaging.

This is disturbing news for parents, pediatricians and anyone concerned about childhood obesity.

While “breast is best”, babies who do receive formula are at risk for developing a super sweet tooth.

Added sugars, of the wrong kind, contribute to creating fat cells in the body which never go away.

The more fat cells developed the tougher it is to maintain healthy weight.

Among the results, Enfamil Premium and Parent’s Choice Premium Infant formulas had the highest sugar content at 13.5 and 12.4 grams of lactose per serving. Lactose is what scientists call the best type of sugar and it’s the kind found in breast milk.
Three formulas tested low for any sugar: Gerber Good Start, Similac Advance Complete, and Enfamil Pro-Sobee.
But two, both made by Similac, did contain other added sugars. Similac Advance Organic Complete Nutrition contained one of the sweetest kind of sugars, sucrose, measuring in at 3.5 grams per serving. That’s roughly the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar for every five ounces.
In Europe, concern over childhood obesity led to a ban on sucrose in baby formula. Dozens of countries do not allow the kind of sugar that was found in those two brands.

Nutrition, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

baby formula breast feeding breast milk childhood obesity infant health infant nutrition sugar in baby formula

FDA Approves New Weight Loss Pill

June 27, 2012 / Staff

It has been 13 years since the FDA has approved a new drug for weight loss.

Belviq, the Arena Pharmaceuticals drug which also goes by the generic name lorcaserin, is one of three new potential weight-loss treatments to be approved.

The drug works by activating a receptor in the brain that may help a person eat less and feel full after eating smaller amounts of food.
It is approved for use in obese adults with a body mass index or BMI of 30 or greater and in overweight adults with a BMI of 27 or greater if they have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol. For example, a 5-foot-7 woman who weighed 192 pounds would have a BMI of 30.

Patients who do not lose 5 percent of their body weight within 12 weeks of taking the pill will be advised to discontinue use of the drug.

It is important that patients achieve “clinically meaningful weight loss” as cardiovascular risks including heart attack and stroke may be a consideration.

Quality Control, Research, Wellness

Arena Pharmaceuticals Belviq FDA FDA approved weight loss pill Locaserin obesity obesity epidemic weight loss weight loss drugs weight loss pill

Early Birds Fare Better Than Night Owls

June 18, 2012 / Staff

Since society is built around a morning oriented schedule it stands to reason that late sleepers feel left behind during the day.

Overall, early risers are happier.

Scientists are not sure if the feelings of happiness are the result of rest, exposure to light or the body’s bio-chemical response to sleep.

By age 60, most people are morning types, the researchers found. Only about 7 percent of young adults are morning larks, but as the population ages, this switches — in the older years only about 7 percent of the population are still night owls.
“We found that older adults reported greater positive emotion than younger adults, and older adults were more likely to be morning-type people than younger adults,” Biss said. “The ‘morningness’ was associated with greater happiness emotions in both age groups.”

Research, Wellness

benefits of sleep early birds health benefits of sleep jet lag night owls sleep

Donna Shalala Discuses A Major Threat To Our National Security

June 7, 2012 / Staff

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Obesity takes a huge financial toll on the nation.

Chronic illnesses caused by obesity are crippling our healthcare system.

How can we turn this around?

Health Care Policy, Health Insurance, Hospitals, Medicaid, Medicare, Nutrition, Quality Control, Research, Resources, Wellness

Donna Shalala National Security obesity obesity epidemic public health public resources threat to National Security

Couples Who Share A Bed Are Healthier

June 6, 2012 / Staff

Getting cuddly can be good for your health.

Even when you consider tossing and turning, snoring and blanket hogs, the benefits of nighttime snuggling outweigh the annoyances.

While the science is in the early stages, one hypothesis suggests that by promoting feelings of safety and security, shared sleep in healthy relationships may lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Sharing a bed may also reduce cytokines, involved in inflammation, and boost oxytocin, the so-called love hormone that is known to ease anxiety and is produced in the same part of the brain responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. So even though sharing a bed may make people move more, “the psychological benefits we get having closeness at night trump the objective costs of sleeping with a partner,” Dr. Troxel says.