beck health & nutrition

The following is a selection of articles from past issues of Beck Health & Nutrition's Latest Health News email updates.  Click on a link below or simply use your browser to scroll through each article.  If you would like to subscribe to our free quarterly Latest Health & Nutrition News simply click here.

Articles by subject area:

Nutrition during Pregnancy and Infancy

Children's Health and Nutrition

    - Childhood Obesity

    - Adolescent Health and Nutrition

Sports Nutrition

Dieting and Weight Management

Food

• Australian children alarmingly low in Iodine

• Training secrets of elite Kenyan endurance runners

• Low-carb diets may increase cardiovascular risk

• US Scientists dub soft drinks as “cigarettes of obesity”

• French women are getting chubbier
• Four more reasons to eat chocolate  
• The Tour de France: Cupcakes on the menu
• Breastfeeding valued at $2.2 billion 
• Craving Chocolate?  Don't adjust your TV set
• Weight loss:  How fast is too fast?
• Invisible fibre
• Milk not the only factor for healthy bones

• Does turning 40 change diet and lifestyle habits?

• Increased metabolism after exercise - does afterburn really exist?

• Taste for meat made humans early weaners 

• Whoops! I didn't mean to say you're fat

• Bigger women need more pre-pregnancy folate

• Childhood Obesity - Causes and Contributing Factors

• Athletes still look to mum and dad for nutritional guidance

• Fish oils improve fitness and fat burning

• Fruit fights macular degeneration

• Dieting and exams don't mix

• Men may inherit sperm damage

• The effect of starvation during adolescence 

• Iron for babies

• Juice claims lack substance

• Are overweight kids malnourished?

• How does the Atkins Diet work?

• Angry teenagers should eat more fish

• Heart disease can begin early, parents warned

• Fish, what's all the fuss?

• mmmm.......... chocolate

• Are our kids meeting their nutritional needs?

• Help for square eyes

• Eat breakfast. lose weight

• Say 'cheese' for calcium

• Children not getting enough sleep

• Teenagers who skip breakfast

• Changes to recommendations for introducing solids for infants

• "Everything in my lunchbox is healthy - except the spoon ... and the chocolate" 

• Exercise causes clumsiness

• Regular dieters more likely to snack under stress

• Idle threat: Sedentary kids at risk of Chronic Fatigue

• How does breastfeeding protect against overweight and obesity?

• Does my mum look big?

• Decaf not so heart friendly

• Food authorities crack down on "low fat" claims

  Australian children alarmingly low in Iodine

  Many Australian children are mildly iodine deficient.  Researchers from Sydney University measured iodine levels in 1709 8-10 year old school children from across Australia, finding that overall, Australian children are borderline iodine deficient.  On a state basis, NSW and Victorian children are mildly iodine deficient, South Australian children are borderline iodine deficient and both Queensland and Western Australian children are iodine sufficient.  Iodine is needed by the body to create thyroid hormones vital for growth and development.  In adults iodine deficiency causes sluggishness and weight gain.  During pregnancy it may impair development of the fetus, causing the extreme and irreversible mental and physical retardation known as cretinism.  Iodine deficiency in early childhood is typically associated with and poor academic performance.  The study authors conclude by calling for the urgent implementation of mandatory iodisation of all edible salt in Australia. 

  Reference:  Li et al, 2006, Are Australian children iodine deficient? Results of the Australian National Iodine Nutrition Study, Med J Aust. 2006 Feb 20;184(4):165-9.
  
  
  Training secrets of elite Kenyan endurance runners

  A new study carried out by the International Centre for East African Running Science (ICEARS) to assess the energy intake of nine elite Kenyan endurance runners during heavy training has concluded that during periods of intense training, athletes are on average in negative energy balance (are not consuming as much energy from foods and drinks as they are expending).  Energy intake and expenditure were measured over 7 days. Fluid intake was modest and consisted mainly of water and milky tea. The diet was high in carbohydrate (67.3%) and sufficient in protein (15.3%) and fat (17.4 %). It is thought that a negative energy balance would result in a reduction in body mass, which, when combined with a high carbohydrate diet, would potentially enhance endurance running performance (in the short term) by reducing the energy cost (effort) of running.

  Reference: Fudge et al, 2006, Evidence of negative energy balance using doubly labelled water in elite Kenyan endurance runners prior to competition, Br J Nutr. 2006 Jan;95(1):59-66.
  
  Low-carb diets may increase cardiovascular risk

  Low-carbohydrate diets are becoming increasingly popular for weight loss. However scientific evidence regarding the benefits and risks of these diets is not yet conclusive.  A meta-analysis of findings from five individual trials has concluded that after 6 months, individuals following low-carbohydrate diets do lose more weight than individuals following low-fat diets however this difference is no longer obvious after 12 months. 

  No differences were observed in blood pressure between the dieting groups, however those following the low-carb diet generally had higher levels of both LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and total cholesterol levels than those following a low-fat diet.   

  Reference:  Nordmann AJ, 2006, Effects of Low-Carbohydrate vs Low-Fat Diets on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, Arch Intern Med. 2006 Feb 13;166(3):285-93.
  
  US Scientists dub soft drinks as “cigarettes of obesity”

  Low-fat, low-cal, low-carb. Atkins, South Beach, The Zone. Trendy diets may be distracting attention from something more insidiously piling on kilos: beverages.  One of every five calories in the American diet is liquid. The nation's single biggest "food" is soda (soft drink).  Now two groups of US researchers hope to add evidence to the theory that soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks don't just go hand-in-hand with obesity, but actually cause it.

  Proving this would be a scientific leap that could help make the case for higher taxes on soda, restrictions on how and where it is sold - maybe even a surgeon general's warning on labels.  "We've done it with cigarettes," said one scientist advocating this, Barry Popkin at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

  However, those making the case against soda include some of the nation's top obesity researchers at prestigious institutions like Harvard and Yale.

  "There are many different lines of evidence, just like smoking," said Dr David Ludwig, a Harvard paediatrician who wants a "fat tax" on fast food and drinks.

  Beverage companies seem worried. Some are making sodas "healthier" by adding calcium and vitamins, and pushing fortified but sugary sports drinks in schools that ban soda. This could help them duck any regulations aimed at "empty calorie" drinks, said Jennifer Follett, a USDA nutritionist at the University of California in Davis.

  "Even defining 'milk' is getting tough these days," with so many flavoured varieties and sweetened liquid yoghurts, she complained. "It tastes like you're sucking on ice cream."

  Proving that something causes disease is not easy. It took decades with tobacco, asbestos and other substances now known to cause cancer, and met strong industry opposition. It would be especially tough for a disease as complex as obesity.

  Diet is hard to study. Most people drink at least some sweetened beverages and also get calories from other drinks like milk and orange juice, diluting the strength of any observations about excess weight from soda alone.

  Children are growing and gaining weight naturally, "so we have this added complication" of trying to determine how much extra gain is due to sweet-drink consumption, said Alison Field, a nutrition expert at Harvard-affiliated Children's Hospital in Boston.

  Count One: Guilt by association.

  Soft drink consumption rose more than 60 per cent among adults and more than doubled in kids from 1977-97. The prevalence of obesity roughly doubled in that time. Scientists say these parallel trends are one criterion for proving cause-and-effect.

  Numerous studies link sugary drink consumption with weight gain or obesity. One by Ludwig of 548 Massachusetts schoolchildren found that for each additional sweet drink consumed per day, the odds of obesity increased 60 per cent.

  Another at Harvard of 51,603 nurses compared two periods, 
  1991-95 and 1995-99, and found that women whose soda drinking increased had bigger rises in body-mass index than those who drank less or the same.

  -Count Two: Physical evidence.

  Biologically, the calories from sugar-sweetened beverages are fundamentally different in the body than those from food.

  The main sweetener in soda - high-fructose corn syrup - can increase fats in the blood called triglycerides, which raises the risk of heart problems, diabetes and other health woes.

  This sweetener also doesn't spur production of insulin to make the body "process" calories, nor does it spur leptin, a substance that tamps down appetite, as other carbohydrates do, explained Dr George Bray of the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  "There's a lack of fullness or satiety. The brain just seems to add it on," said Dr Louis Aronne, a Weill-Cornell Medical College doctor who is president of the Obesity Society.

  Two studies by Penn State nutritionist Barbara Rolls illustrate this. One gave 14 men lemonade, diet lemonade, water or no drink and then allowed them to eat as much as they wanted at lunch. Food intake didn't vary, no matter what they drank.

  The second study gave 44 women water, diet soda, regular soda, orange juice, milk or no drink before lunch. Total intake was 104 calories greater for those given caloric beverages than those given diet soda, water or no beverage. Caloric drinks didn't help women feel any fuller either.

  Then there is the "jelly bean study." Purdue University researchers gave 15 men and women 450 calories a day of either soda or jelly beans for a month, then switched them for the next month and kept track of total consumption. Candy eaters ate less food to compensate for the extra calories. Soda drinkers did not.

  -Count Three: Bad influence on others.

  Sugar-sweetened beverages affect the intake of other foods, such as lowering milk consumption. Popkin contends they also may be psychological triggers of poor eating habits and cravings for fast food.

  He examined dietary patterns of 9,500 American adults in a federal study from 1999-2002. Those who drank healthier beverages - water, low-fat milk, unsweetened coffee or tea - were more likely to eat vegetables and less likely to eat fast food.

  Conversely, "fast-food consumption was doubled if they were high soda consumers and vegetable consumption was halved," he said.

  Harvard epidemiologist Eric Rimm saw a similar effect in a different federally funded study of more than 5,000 young adults. With high soda consumption, "you see this pattern of less healthy intake across the board," he said at the obesity meeting.

  -Count Four: Consistency of evidence.

  Many studies of different types link sugary drinks and weight gain or obesity. Some even show a "dose-response" relationship - as consumption rises, so does weight.

  Collectively, they meet many criteria for proving cause and effect, Dr William Dietz, director of nutrition at the federal Centres for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in an editorial accompanying a study in February's Journal of Paediatrics.

  Source: AP, March 10, 2006 - 10:07AM, Reproduced on www.smh.com.au 16/3/06.   

   

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December - January 2006    Welcome to the December-January 2006 edition of Latest Health News.  Does my mum look big? For many years pregnant women were encouraged to 'eat for two' during pregnancy however two recent US studies reveal that children born to mothers who put on a lot of weight during pregnancy are particularly prone to becoming overweight themselves, even by the age of 3. And even women who follow official advice on how much weight they should gain during pregnancy may be priming their children for obesity. Childhood obesity has tripled both in Australia and the US since 1980 with research suggesting that children are being condemned to a life of obesity while still in the womb.  Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed national health records, finding a correlation between excessive pregnancy weight gain and obesity among children aged 2 to 4.  However researchers from Harvard Medical School found that even women who follow official advice on how much weight they should gain throughout their pregnancy may be priming their children for obesity. These findings may however be slightly countered by differences in official recommendations for pregnancy weight gain.   Official US guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy suggest that a “normal” woman should gain a total of 11.5 and 16 kilograms in total whereas the World Health Organization suggests 10-12.5 kilograms (Australian recommendations suggest a similar range of 10-13kg). The US Institute of Medicine, the prime public health body in the US, plans to convene a workshop in 2006 to consider this new data on the consequences of weight gain during pregnancy and childhood obesity.  In the meantime researchers warn pregnant women against adopting a restrictive diet in the hope of slimmer children as women who fail to gain sufficient weight during pregnancy are at greater risk of problems, including premature births.     The current recommendation for additional food intake during pregnancy is for an extra 850-1100kJ per day during the second and third trimesters (which roughly equates to a glass of milk or a sandwich).        Source: Aldhous P, New Scientist magazine, Issue 2528 (01 December 2005), p.14.   Decaf not so heart friendly A new research finding suggests drinking decaffeinated coffee may actually increase your risk of heart disease - a finding that will come as a shock to many.  The study compared the health of 187 coffee drinkers suggests that decaf coffee may help raise "bad" cholesterol, which at high levels can lead to artery disease.  But it may not be all good news for latte and cappuccino fans as the coffee drinkers in the trial drank only home-brewed black (no milk) coffee.  Full-fat milk is one of the primary sources of saturated or “bad” fat in the Australian diet, and high levels of dietary saturated fat are associated with increased levels of “bad” cholesterol.               The research was recently presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings in Dallas.        Source:  The Guardian; Telegraph, London reprinted in the Sydney Morning Herald, November 18 2005, p11.      Food authorities crack down on "low fat" claims  Proposed changes to Australian food labels will see much stricter regulation of the terms "diet", "reduced", "low fat" and "low sugar" with any such claims requiring disclosure of the amount of energy contained in each serving as a percentage of the recommended daily intake.  Foods will no longer be able to described as "low fat" if they contain more than three grams (3%) of fat per 100 grams.  "Diet" foods will only be applied to food with 40 per cent less energy than the regular product, and containing 170 kilojoules or less per 100 grams.  While the proposed changes may make selecting foods on the basis of "low fat" or "diet" simpler, prepare yourselves for new, previously unseen health claims about particular food's role in fighting or preventing serious disease.  Claims such as “foods rich in calcium may help to prevent osteoporosis” may be allowed to be included on food labels provided the claims are able to be scientifically substantiated.  Claim Proposed requirement Diet Must have 40% less energy.  Must be 170kJ less per 100g Reduced At least 25% less Low fat < 3g per 100g or < 1.5g per 100ml Low saturated fat < 1.5g per 100g or  < 0.75g per 100ml Low cholesterol < 20mg Low sugar < 5g per 100g or < 2.5 g per 100ml Source of protein > 10g protein Lite Must specify which characteristic (eg. light in taste, light in colour) Whole foods Must consist of at least 90% by weight All foods % daily intake of energy has to be declared Source:  Needham K, Low fat? At last it’ not such a slim claim, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 November 2005.       August - September 2005 Welcome to the August-September edition of Latest Health News.  In this issue we cover Mc Donald's plan to reposition Ronald McDonald as a fitness guru, why dieting is bad for you and a nutrition plan for those Sydneysiders taking part in the City To Surf this weekend.     Ronald Mc Donald the next fitness guru? Here's one I bet you never expected......Mc Donald’s is looking to reposition Ronald McDonald (yes the clown) as a fitness and health ambassador. A leaner Ronald will encourage McDonald's young consumers to exercise. Ronald, who is known officially within McDonald Corp. as "chief happiness officer," will soon be seen riding a skateboard with a basketball star and kicking a football. Ronald, the company's newly dubbed "chief happiness officer," has become the company's "ambassador for an active, balanced lifestyle," McDonald's Chief Creative Officer Marlena Peleo-Lazar told a US government panel yesterday. Her announcement came the same week an appeals court reinstated a lawsuit against McDonald's in which two New York teenagers claim they got fat because the company hid the health risks of its food. Other major food companies also are promoting fitness in schools. Last fall, PepsiCo Inc. sent fitness educational materials to elementary schools, reaching 3 million students. In March, the beverage and snack-food company will send another round, this time to all 15,000 middle schools in the country. These educational programs were discussed at a day-long workshop sponsored by the Institute of Medicine, which Congress directed to study the impact of food marketing on childhood obesity and healthful eating. The study comes as a growing number of health care professionals and consumer activists are calling for more government oversight of food advertising because the number of obese children has more than doubled in the past 30 years. Several major food companies are responding to the concerns by reformulating many of their food products and developing or adding new ones to offer more healthful alternatives, such as reduced-sugar cereal. McDonald's, for example, has added milk and apples to its kids' menu. Meanwhile, Kraft announced earlier this month that it will curb advertising of many of its snack foods to children under 12. The food industry is seeking legislation to block lawsuits, such as the one just reinstated against McDonald's. The Virginia House of Delegates did just that yesterday, strengthening existing law by approving a bill saying state residents can't blame their weight gain on food companies. In the past, the Ronald McDonald character has visited schools to teach about such issues as bike safety and literacy. Now the clown will be touting physical activity. No burgers or fries will be promoted. "Ronald does not promote food, but fun and activity -- the McDonald's experience," said company spokesman Walt Riker. The campaign was criticized by Harvard psychologist Susan Linn, author of "Consuming Kids." "It's just another marketing ploy for McDonald's," she said. "It has no place in the school. The amount of exercise it will take to exercise off everything these kids consume will take all day." The program has been reviewed and approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics. "We're not endorsing McDonald's or Ronald McDonald, but wanted to make sure the message was safe and appropriate," said Reginald L. Washington, co-chairman of the academy's task force on obesity. The program, he said, "takes advantage of the fact that Ronald McDonald has such recognition with kids that if he tells them to get moving, maybe they will do it." Source: Caroline E. Mayer, Washington Post, Friday, January 28, 2005.     Deadly diets Now there’s proof that dieting is bad for your health – it may even kill you.  Research conducted by the Institute of Preventative Medicine at Copenhagen University Hospital followed the dieting behaviours of 2597 overweight and obese people concluding that those who dieted and lost weight were almost twice as likely to die young as those who didn’t.  It seems that dieting weakens organs, tissues and the immune system.  The solution? Healthy eating, exercise and moderation.  Just like what we keep saying…..             City to Surf – Meal plan for Sunday For those Sydneysiders taking part in the City to Surf fun run this Sunday we have developed a race day nutrition and hydration plan to get you to Bondi in your best time yet.  Aside from the obvious training, the most important nutritional goals for an event of this type are ensuring adequate hydration and carbohydrate levels before, during and after the race.   Hydration Physical activity increases body temperature, increases water loss via sweat, uses-up muscle and liver glycogen stores and can sometimes cause a fall in blood glucose levels.  Numerous studies confirm that exercise performance is impaired when an individual is dehydrated.  The effects of dehydration can begin when an individual is dehydrated by as little as 2% of body weight.  Water losses greater than 5% have been shown to reduce exercise performance by around 30%.      Dehydration is most evident when the amount of water loss exceeds 3% of body weight.  This dehydration then leads to a fall in endurance, strength, and overall performance.  Dehydration also affects the ‘perception of effort’ experienced as exercise at the same intensity seems progressively ‘harder’ as dehydration worsens.  Pre-race meal and hydration Ideally you should consume a carbohydrate-rich breakfast 3-4 hours prior to the race (5:30-6:30am).  For those early risers amongst us here are some pre-race breakfast suggestions: Porridge with low-fat milk and fruit juice Breakfast cereal with milk or yoghurt Pancakes/pikelets with syrup, jam or honey  Toast, muffins or crumpets with jam Rice cakes or bread rolls with sliced banana Fresh fruit or fruit salad Baked beans or spaghetti on toast Banana and honey roll You should also drink at least 500mL fluid with your pre-race breakfast then continue to consume 150-300mL fluid every 15-20 minutes up until about one hour to 45 minutes before the race (leaving time for a toilet stop before the start).  For those of you who are not planning on being up quite so early, a pre-race light breakfast or snack 1-2 hours prior to the race could include: Small serving of breakfast cereal, ½ cup of milk, and juice Smoothie based on low-fat milk or soy milk, low-fat yoghurt and mango/banana/berries Fresh fruit or small serving of fruit salad with low-fat yoghurt Low-fat breakfast bar or muesli bar and a banana Sports bar 800-1000 ml of sports drink 500 ml of fruit juice, soft drink or flavoured mineral water 3 medium pieces of fruit or 2 bananas Thick-sliced toast with jam or honey 3 thick rice cakes with jam or honey 2 crumpets with vegemite, jam or honey                                 banana jaffle You should also drink at least 500mL fluid with your pre-race snack then continue to consume 150-300mL fluid every 15-20 minutes up until about one hour to 45 minutes before the race (leaving time for a toilet stop before the start).  The intake of a large but comfortable volume of fluid (eg. 5mL/kg body weight) just prior to the race can actually help some athletes prepare their stomachs for fluid intake during exercise.  However this is only suggested for those of you who have tried this technique during training and are sure that it won’t cause stomach cramps or lead you straight to the long queue at the port-a-loo.  Hydration during the race: Sports drinks or water?  Thirst is not a reliable indicator of adequate hydration during exercise.  During the race try to consume about 150-350mL of sports drink every 15-20 minutes from the start.  Until recently it was considered that carbohydrate intake (such as sports drinks) during exercise would only benefit exercise lasting more than 90 minutes.  However there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that carbohydrate intake can benefit performance in events involving high-intensity exercise of approximately one-hour duration.  Sports drinks provide a valuable source of carbohydrate (sugars/glucose) during exercise and deliver energy to working muscles.  The sodium content of sports drinks also enhances the body’s retention of water.  Recovery To ensure effective recovery (replace body fluid and carbohydrate stores) aim to replace fluids by drinking water or sports drinks throughout Sunday afternoon and aim to eat a balanced meal containing carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats within 4 hours of completion of the race. See you at Bondi! May-June 2005   Cold swims make you ravenous Taking a swim in cold water may be invigorating, but according to new US research it may also increase your appetite enough to contribute to weight gain.   Researchers from the University of Florida compared the energy intake of 11 male volunteers after swimming in warm, then cold water and found that energy intake was 44% higher after exercising in cold water.      The research authors also suggest that the findings may help to explain why some people find it difficult to lose weight by swimming. "It's possible that individuals who exercise in cooler water may have an exaggerated energy intake following exercise, which may be a reason why they don't lose as much weight," says Assistant Professor Lesley White.  "So it may not be the exercise itself that causes the problem because you can match the exercise energy expenditure; rather it's the increased eating after the exercise is over." The research published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reported that student volunteers exercised on a stationary bicycle submerged in water for 45 minutes, in either cold water at 20°C or warm water at 33°C.  The students were then put into a room with food. "We found that during the recovery period, when the subjects had access to an assortment of foods, that significantly more calories were eaten after exercise in cold water compared to exercise in warm water or at rest," White says. Source: ABC Science Online Happiness helps people stay healthy People who are happier in their daily lives have healthier levels of key body chemicals than those who muster few positive feelings, a new study suggests.  This means happier people may have a reduced risk of chronic disease including diabetes.  Several studies have confirmed the negative impact that depression can have on health.  But few studies have actually focused on the effect of positive mood.  Researchers from University College, London have linked everyday happiness with healthier levels of body chemicals including the stress hormone cortisol. “This study showed that whether people are happy or less happy in their everyday lives appears to have important effects on the markers of biological function known to be associated with disease,” says clinical psychologist Jane Wardle, one of the research team. The team studied 216 middle-aged men and women living in London.  Participants were asked to rate how happy they had been feeling in the last five minutes, and at about 33 points during their working or leisure days. At these points, their heart rates and blood pressures were also measured by an automated system. Saliva samples were taken to test the stress hormone cortisol and one occasion participants were invited into the lab and given a “mildly stressful” task to perform while their biological responses were measured. The team controlled for factors such as socioeconomic position, age and gender to try to tease out the effects of happiness alone on health. “The happier you were, the lower your cortisol levels during the day,” says Wardle. “For men, but not for women, the happier you were the lower your average heart rate was.” High levels of cortisol are linked to conditions such as type II diabetes and hypertension. Lower heart rates are associated with cardiovascular health. In addition, individuals who said they were happy almost all of the time had lower levels of a blood protein called fibrinogen following the stressful task. Fibrinogen makes blood “sticky” and is vital in the clotting process, but high concentrations can indicate future cardiovascular disease problems. Wardle suggests that the way the brain functions while happy “perhaps makes the little hassles and irritations of everyday life loom less large, so you don’t get such strong reactions to them”. Source:  Bhattacharya S.  NewScientist.com news service. 18th April 2005. Bulking up: are protein supplements really necessary? Walk into any gymnasium and you will understand why most body builders and other strength athletes believe the only way to 'get huge' is to use expensive protein supplements.  The range of powders, bars, shakes etc all promising maximal muscle gain is astounding, but are they actually necessary? Dietary protein is used by the body to make a wide array of vital body components, including muscle.  However the body does not store protein, therefore the body can only utilise a finite amount of protein each day for muscle growth.  Protein intake recommendations for body builders and athletes wanting to bulk up range from 1.2g/kg/day to an upper level of 2g/kg/day 1,2,3.   So, for example, if an 85kg male was wanting to bulk up, the maximum amount of protein his body would use 170 grams of total protein.  Male body builders generally consume at least this level of protein in their regular diet.      The average Australian male consumes about 100 grams of protein in his diet each day with a significant amount coming from animal products.  Body builders and other strength athletes however are renowned for overemphasising the importance of protein foods (especially meat, poultry and eggs) with some eating more than 4 grams protein per kilogram of body weight per day, believing that this will further enhance muscle gains 4.  Excess dietary protein does not however build bigger muscles, the majority is simply burned by the body as an (expensive) energy source.  Small amounts are also converted to glucose or fat.  Nonetheless body builders are commonly convinced by claims such as 'highest quality protein' and 'food for your muscles' that protein supplements offer muscle gain advantages not available via common food proteins alone.  Protein quality is an expression of how effectively food proteins meet the essential amino acid requirement to support body growth and maintenance.  Generally speaking, proteins from animal sources (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products) are considered to be high quality protein because they contain all of the essential amino acids required for body growth and maintenance.  Plant proteins (legumes, nuts, seeds, grains) tend to be lacking in one essential amino acid, meaning that they cannot, by themselves, support protein synthesis (muscle growth).  This is easily overcome by combining different plant proteins.  In relation to protein supplements what is important to remember is that protein quality is only relevant if dietary protein intake of essential amino acids is inadequate.  Regular consumption of animal proteins (or vegetarian diets that combine different plant proteins each day) provides all of the essential amino acids required for muscle growth.  Additional intakes of essential amino acids and 'highest quality protein' above requirements are simply burned for energy or converted to glucose or fat, regardless of the quality of the protein consumed.        Key requirements for muscle growth are a progressive resistance training program, adequate energy and protein intake and genetic potential.     References:1. Lemon PW, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDougall JD, Atkinson SA.  Protein requirements and muscle mass/strength changes during intensive training in novice bodybuilders.  J Appl Physiol 1992;73:767-75. 2.  Wardlaw GM, Hampl JS, DiSilvestro RA, Perspectives in Nutrition 6th Edition, McGraw Hill Higher Education, New York.  2004.3. Tipton KD and Wolfe WR.  Protein and amino acids for athletes.  Journal of Sport Sciences 2004;22:65-79 4. Slater G, Practice Tips, In: Burke L and Deakin V. Clinical Sports Nutrition 2nd Edition. Mc Graw Hill Australia Pty Ltd.  2003. April-May 2005
French women are getting chubbier Mireille Guiliano's world bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat recommends that all we need to do is stay slim and fabulous is to learn to eat like French women.  French women, Guiliano says, drink lots of water and champagne (Guiliano is the chief executive of Veuve Cliquot's US subsidiary), do lots of walking, prepare balanced meals from fresh seasonal produce and shun any form of low-fat or low-carb diet.     James Clark's article published in this Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald argues that although French women are, on average, leaner than their Australian or Americans counterparts, the average French woman is unhappy with her body weight, struggles to squeeze into a size-12 and typically wishes she could shed 5 kilos.  The number of French considered to be overweight or obese is also steadily increasing (about 46 per cent of French men and 32 per cent of women) and childhood obesity rates in France are growing so rapidly (currently almost 20 per cent) that French health professionals worry that France could find themselves in the same league as the US by 2020.    As a nation the French have long enjoyed a phenomenon described as the French paradox - comparatively low rates of heart disease despite their saturated fat-rich diets. Yet it appears that more and more French are turning their backs on a key ingredient of the paradox - antioxidant-rich red wine.  Red-wine consumption is down 23 per cent across France and a National Health and Nutrition Program Survey reports that 60 per cent of French do not regularly consume alcohol.            Overweight Australians may also take some comfort in knowing that many French women also owe much of their weight maintenance to tobacco.  One third of all French women smoke and the number of young people taking up smoking continues to grow - more than half of those aged 15 to 25 have an established habit.           As Michelle Lacoste-Dupont, a Parisian psychiatrist who works with eating disorders, comments "Even if we are nowhere near as overweight as the Americans, more French children are obese, more French mean and women are dieting , and more are falling for ad diets that don't work".     But the news is not all bad for French Women Don't Get Fat converts.   Guiliano's dietary ideal illustrates many valuable nutrition points.  A balanced diet relying primarily on home-prepared seasonal fresh produce will always get a tick from nutritionists, but the real value of Guiliano's book lies in the concept of actually enjoying a wide variety  food, and any diet that prescribes a daily ration of chocolate cant be all that bad.           Source:  Clark J, It's true, French women do get fat, Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday April 2.
Four more reasons to eat chocolate   Regular readers of our Latest Health News updates may have noticed a particular emphasis on the health benefits of chocolate.  While we can't be certain that all of our readers enjoy chocolate as much as we do, 1.5 billion kilograms of chocolate are consumed worldwide each year meaning we can't be alone in our passion for chocolate.  So, as a post-Easter community service we have pulled together some research about the health benefits of chocolate:   Numerous studies indicate that dark chocolate contains antioxidants that may exert a protective effect on our cardiovascular system.  Antioxidant substances in dark chocolate may also improve our response to insulin (the hormone that balances blood sugar levels)  in healthy individuals (1).  Milk chocolate is thought to contain only half the concentration of antioxidants as dark chocolate and white chocolate does not contain these antioxidants at all).  Antioxidant rich dark chocolate can also improve our response to exercise by reducing oxidative stress (2)    Substances contained in chocolate can relieve persistent cough.  Current treatments for persistent cough generally rely on opioids which have several unacceptable side-effects.  Theobromine, a substance contained in cocoa has been found to be as effective as opiods in relieving persistent cough with no adverse side effects (3). Chocolate has a low glycaemic index (GI).  The glycaemic index is a ranking from 0-100 that measures how quickly sugars in food are absorbed into the blood stream.  High GI foods are absorbed by the body rapidly, causing blood sugar levels to rise then fall quickly.  Foods with a lower GI are absorbed more slowly and providing a longer lasting source of energy (we will ignore the fact that the reason the sugar in chocolate is absorbed slowly is because it is mixed in with lots of dietary fat).             References: 1.  Grassi D, Lippi C, Necozione S, Desideri G, Ferri C, 2005, Short-term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons.  Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Mar;81(3):611-4. 2. Fraga CG, Actis-Goretta L, Ottaviani JI, Carrasquedo F, Lotito SB, Lazarus S, Schmitz HH, Keen CL, 2005. Regular consumption of a flavanol-rich chocolate can improve oxidant stress in young soccer players.Clin Dev Immunol. 2005 Mar;12(1):11-7. 3.  Usmani OS, Belvisi MG, Patel HJ, Crispino N, Birrell MA, Korbonits M, Korbonits D, Barnes PJ.  Theobromine inhibits sensory nerve activation and cough.  FASEB J. 2005 Feb;19(2):231-3. Epub 2004 Nov 17.
Tour de France: Cupcakes on the menu Cyclists taking place in the Tour de France eat cupcakes to keep their energy up while cycling.  The Tour de France, widely regarded as the most strenuous (and prolonged) sporting endurance endeavour poses unique nutritional challenges for participating cyclists.   The 4000km race takes place over a period of three weeks with only one day allowed for rest and includes 30 mountain passages, the highest reaching an altitude of almost 2700m.  A study of dietary intake of participating cyclists reports that in addition to the expected sports drinks and large meals cupcakes are commonly used to by riders to keep their sugar levels up while riding.  Source: Saris et al. Study pf food intake and energy expenditure during extreme sustained exercise: The Tour de France, International Journal of Sports Medicine, vol.10, suppl.1, 1989, pp.S26-31.   "Everybody wants to know what I am on. What am I on? I'm on my bike... six hours a day. What are you on?" Lance Armstrong, six-times winner, Tour de France
Breastfeeding valued at $2.2 billion a year A NSW Health study of breastfeeding recommends that breastfeeding mothers should be regarded as food producers and suggests that breast pumps be GST-free, putting breastfeeding mothers the same category as farmers.  Economists estimate that the 34 million litres of breast milk produced by Australian mothers each year was worth $2.2 billion (based on breast milk's value in European milk banks, where breast milk is stored and sold).  Nutrition and physical activity manager at NSW Health Liz Develin comments "It's incredibly expensive to feed babies formula. Then there's the cost of healthcare services that breastfeeding prevents."  The study advocates exclusive breastfeeding for the six months of an infants life followed by continued breastfeeding until 12 months in conjunction with the introduction of other foods.  The study estimates that present and future worth of breastfeeding to Australia to be in the vicinity of $37 billion.	Source: Sydney Morning Herald, March 17 2005
Links to new research   Parents unaware of their children's weight status  Many parents have difficulty recognising overweight and obesity in their young children.  A UK study of parents of 3-5 year olds found that many parents showed poor awareness of their child's current weight status.   Life expectancy to drop for first time in 1000 years Australians could be eating themselves to an early death, with new research suggesting life expectancy will decline for the first time in 1000 years due to the obesity epidemic.  A paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine predicts a decrease in life expectancy.
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November 2004

"Everything in my lunchbox is healthy - except the spoon ... and the chocolate" 

After fruit, biscuits are the most commonly packed snack in school lunch boxes (present in 59% of school lunches).  Researchers from Deakin University collected data from 1001 school children (aged 4-12 years) to see what was in their lunchbox.  Muesli/fruit bars were the next most common (present in 39% of lunchboxes) followed by chips (36%).  Twenty-six percent of children had chocolate and/or lollies in their lunchbox. 

Bell AC, Kremer PJ, Swinburn BA, 2004, “Everything in my lunchbox is healthy – except for the spoon … and the chocolate”; Asia Pacific Journal Clinical Nutrition, vol. 13 (Suppl), pp. S38.

Exercise causes clumsiness

Those of us who find ourselves staggering about after strenuous exercise tend to blame weary muscles for the problem but it appears it's our brain that's responsible.  Strenuous exercise can lead to clumsiness and difficulty performing skilled movements such as threading a needle.  It seems that the brain works out where our limbs are in space partly by using information it collects on how much effort against gravity it takes to move an arm or a leg into a particular position.  If your limb muscles are tired, that limb is harder to move - and this confuses the brain.  This post exercise clumsiness vanishes as your muscle fibres are repaired.

Young E, 2004, 'Take the fall out of exercise', Sydney Morning Herald, Aug. 19               

Regular dieters more likely to snack under stress

Women who report regularly dieting or restricting food intake are more likely to snack following a stressful incident or when required to complete intellectually challenging tasks than women who do not regularly diet.  The British research to be published in this month's Journal of Eating Behaviour also concluded that regular dieters eat significantly more food under post-stress conditions than their non-dieting counterparts.

Lattimore P, Maxwell L, 2004, 'Cognitive load, stress, and disinhibited eating', Eat Behav, Nov; 5(4):315-24.  

Idle threat: Sedentary kids at risk of Chronic Fatigue

Those who led sedentary lives as children appear to be at greater risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitits), says a study published in October's British Medical Journal.  This is contrary to earlier suggestions that high levels of exercise might increase the risk.  The study - of the 1970 British cohort: 16 567 babies who were regularly monitored until age 30 - found no link between the disease and early psychological distress, academic ability, birth order or parental illness.      

How does breastfeeding protect against overweight and obesity? 

Several studies have concluded that breastfeeding may protect infants against future overweight problems however exactly why this is remains unclear.  One possible theory is that breastfeeding promotes a style of feeding that mothers are  responsive to their baby's cues of hunger and satiety (fullness), thereby allowing the baby greater scope to self-regulate their energy intake.  A US study to be published in Journal of Pediatrics concluded mothers who breastfed in infancy reported less restrictive behaviour regarding child feeding at 1 year.

Tavera EM et al, 2004, 'Association of breastfeeding with maternal control of infant feeding at age 1 year', Pediatrics, Oct 18 (published online (Epub) ahead of print.                    

Childhood Obesity- Causes and Contributing Factors

For most young people being fat is not cool.  Yet the number of overweight and obese children and teenagers in Australia continues to rise at an alarming rate.   Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are just some of the health risks that overweight and obese children are vulnerable to.  Other problems include low self-esteem, joint complaints, and sleep disruption due to snoring that can lead to tiredness and create behaviour and learning problems.   

Biologically, overweight and obesity is simply caused by an eating more dietary energy than you expend.  If we consume more energy than we use the excess energy will be stored in the body, primarily as body fat.  Therefore, the only way to lose weight is to increase energy expenditure (physical activity) or reduce the amount of dietary energy being consumed. 

Causes and contributing factors in the development of overweight and obesity    

As the research into the childhood obesity crisis increases, so too do the number of proposed causes and contributing factors.  The following is a compilation of just some of the interrelating factors that have been put forward by researchers and medical experts as to why the number of children and teenagers now considered to be overweight or obese is constantly increasing. 

Sedentary lifestyles

On average TVs, DVDs, the internet and computer games keep children sedentary for up to 85% of the hours between 3:30 and 6:30pm on weekdays⁷, a time in the day that was traditionally used by children to play outdoors.  More and more studies (as well as plain old common-sense) tell us that if children don’t burn up enough energy by doing regular physical activity they will increase their chances of becoming overweight²¹.  Watching too much television, being driven instead of walking, not partaking in sport or regular exercise (either in the form of organized sport e.g. tennis coaching, netball, swimming training, or as incidental exercise, playing, walking etc) can all leave children vulnerable.              

Malnutrition

When we think of malnutrition, we tend to think of starving children, however new thinking is pointing towards childhood obesity in fact being a form of malnutrition.  The term malnutrition can be defined as ‘lack of proper nutrition resulting from deficiencies in the diet’.  A recent study of Australian school children found that many obese children were, on average, 2cm shorter than their leaner classmates.  The findings suggest that while these children are obviously consuming more than enough food, the types of food that they are commonly consuming do not contain the vital nutrients required for growth and development.

Ethnicity and socioeconomic status

Studies show that children from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern backgrounds had a higher relative weight than children from other backgrounds, while those of Asian ethnic origin were lighter in weight.  In addition, children from families of lower socioeconomic status were found to be more overweight. More recent studies of NSW school children support these general findings.

City or country?

Several studies show that obesity rates are higher in rural areas – at least among adults. Distance from medical facilities, and from education or information sources, may be part of the reason. But there are also fewer options for eating out.  Restaurants in remote or rural areas  tend to have richer, heavier foods.  Country areas are also less multicultural and are therefore less likely to have a wide variety of international cuisines which can lead to healthier eating.

Genetic predisposition

Children whose biological parents are overweight are more at risk of becoming overweight than those whose biological parents are of a normal weight.  Studies of identical twins adopted at birth to different families confirm this, as more often than not, twins’ individual weight status are more indicative of their biological parents weight than that of their adoptive families.  Nevertheless in circumstances, where the biological parents raise their own children eating styles and physical activity patterns are significant contributing factors to the risk of overweight and obesity.

Family environment

It goes without saying that a child or teenager’s family or home environment can significantly impact upon their weight status.  Families who generally follow healthy eating guidelines and regular physical activity will impart many important life skills onto their children. 

Interestingly, a mother’s own dieting behaviour has been shown to be associated with how well she will feed her children.  A study of mothers of primary school age children in Britain revealed that mothers in general tend to feed their children in a less healthy way than they feed themselves.  Specifically, they feed their children more sweet products, and more unhealthy breads and dairy products.  However, whereas they reported being motivated more by practicality (e.g. availability, cost) and calories when choosing foods for themselves, they stated that health (nutritional value, long-term health) was more important when choosing food for their children.  In relation to dieting mothers, it appeared that dieters were more self-prioritising than non-dieters in their differentiation between themselves and their children. 

Low birth weight babies

Babies who grow slowly in the womb and are born small have a much higher risk of developing heart disease, late onset diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke later in life.  The theory is that these conditions are the result of the organs and metabolic systems of fetuses having to adapt to being undernourished at a time when they are still developing their functions.  This ability to adapt to hardship in the womb may have evolved so that unborn babies could survive even when their mothers faced lean times.  Once born, such infants may have been well adapted to survive in a deprived environment.  But in developed countries, with plenty of food and an inactive lifestyle, the results can be fatal.

 Importance of breastfeeding

Exclusive breastfeeding for six months, after which solid foods are gradually introduced while breastfeeding is continued (ideally for the first 12 months of life) is thought to lessen the risk of infants experiencing weight problems later in life.