Kent State Interns

             Many factors may influence one’s eating behaviors and patterns. A recent study done by Iowa State University researchers looked at how parents, peers, and prices affect fruit and vegetable consumption of African-American youth. This study was published in the Southern Economic Journal . The researchers found that the parents who ate more fruits and vegetables, also influenced their children to do the same. However, the study found that youth were not influenced by their peers with regards to fruit and vegetable intake. Not surprisingly, prices of the foods had a large impact on consumption of fruits and vegetables. People are usually less likely to buy fruits and vegetables if they are more costly than other items.                 This study shows the importance of family meals and parents setting a good example. Children and young ad...

Hey y'all,  I wanted to share with you this tip sheet (available on the Academy's website) that focuses on health disparities in public health/community nutrition. This tip sheet generates ways nutrition professionals can become more active and involved, as well as a list of resources. I especially enjoyed the link provided to be able to assess your level of cultural competence with the "Cultural Competence Health Practitioner Assessment". This could be a great tool for those working in the community field.  Happy Halloween! :)  ~PG

Coffee has become one of the most popular beverages in the world. A significant amount of coffee research is happening right now. Here is some information that we are learning about coffee: ·          Coffee is a good source of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and several natural antioxidant phytochemicals. ·          Moderate to high consumption of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee is associated with low risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Some research suggests that coffee components other than caffeine may affect the development of type 2 diabetes. ·          A moderate intake of coffee doesn’t seem to be related to an increase in bone loss. Moderate caffeine consumption (300 milligrams per day) is about 3 (8 oz.) cups of brewed coffee. ·          The Institute of Medicine updated the Dietary Reference Intakes for wat...

With Halloween quickly approaching, some people may be wondering what tasty treats they can pass out to trick-or-treaters that don’t involve too many unhealthy components. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (eatright.org) is a great resource that the public can refer to for information on multiple topics. One area on the Kids Eat Right website has information regarding seasonal and holiday eating tips. This week, the article titled “Tricks to Enjoying Halloween Treats” is especially relevant. Here is a list of healthy Halloween treats, courtesy of AND and eatright.org/kids (2013): ·          Whole-grain cheddar flavored crackers ·          Fruit snacks made with 100 percent fruit with added vitamin C ·          Fruit leathers made with 100 percent fruit ·          Sugar-free gum ·     ...

A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine examined the link between youth obesity and the receptiveness to TV fast food advertising.  Over 2,500 people in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 23 were surveyed for this study. Respondents viewed a random subset of 20 advertisement frames (with brand names removed) selected from national TV fast-food restaurant advertisements and were then asked if they had seen the advertisement, if they liked it, and if they could name the brand (Auden, et al., 2013). In order to measure exposure and response, a fast-food advertising receptivity score was assigned. Those with higher receptivity scores were more likely to be obese.              The researchers found that young people with obesity were significantly more likely to notice the fast food adds that they saw on TV than their non-obese peers. Those with obesity also were more likely to like and...

The Welfare Food Challenge invites British Columbians to spend just $26 for a week's worth of groceries, symbolizing the amount of money the average welfare recipient has left to spend on food once other essentials are taken care of.  Registered Dietitian Erica Kang decided to take part in the challenge, and shared her thoughts in The Prince George Citizen. At the grocery store, Kang first noticed how much longer it was taking her to shop, despite leaving with much less food than she was used to. She noted that it took her 45 minutes because she was checking and double-checking the aisles, looking for the best deals. Kang struggled in the produce section, unsure whether to spend more for fresh items or go with the much cheaper but less healthy canned goods. She tried her hardest to choose staples like rice, beans and milk over processed foods, but had to make some sacrifices, such as getting white bread instead of whole wheat. Once she took her groceries home, she began to ...

            Feeding America in partnership with the National Dairy Council and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics announced the launch of the Healthy Food Bank Hub. The Healthy Food Bank Hub is a micro-site of feedingamerica.org developed with support of fellow partners and network food banks and an educational grant from the National Dairy Council. It was developed in an effort to provide a platform for the growing conversation between public health and hunger-relief professionals on the issues of food insecurity, improved nutrition, and reducing the risk of diet-related diseases.             Nearly 49 million people in the U.S. live in food-insecure households and diet-related diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes are at epidemic levels; people served by the Feeding America network are often disproportionately impacted by obesity. The Healthy Food Bank Hub is...

            New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s attempt to limit the size of sugary drinks is set to be reviewed by the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. This is the final chance to salvage a plan that has twice been rejected by judges as improper. The Court of Appeals is not planning to take up the case until next year, after Michael Bloomberg is out of office, which will leave the decision to pursue the case up to the next mayor.             The democratic nominee for mayor, Bill de Blasio, has been a consistent and vocal endorser of the soda-size restrictions. Two months ago, Bill de Blasio stated in an interview, “A ban on large sugary drinks is an important part of any public health agenda.” The Republican nominee for mayor, Joseph J. Lhota said if elected, he would withdraw the city’s appeal, allowing the proposed regulations to die.   ...

10/20/13 A recent article I came across from the Academy daily news email discussed what actually is driving the growing gluten-free market. The article stated that recent studies are showing that health/weight conscious consumers are the ones who are driving the gluten-free market and not those with celiac disease. The new Mintel report surveyed 2,000 adults in June of 2013, and 247 people in the survey said they ate gluten-free foods for reasons not related to celiac or any other gluten intolerance. Many of these people said that they thought gluten-free foods were healthier and some of those surveyed thought that the gluten free foods helped with weight loss. Some of these gluten free products are marketed as more “natural” or healthier for consumers. However, it is important to note that gluten-free products are not always healthier or “natural.” For example, a gluten-free cookie is not necessarily healthy just because it doesn’t contain gluten. It is important that cons...

Teaching children to eat fruits and vegetables can be a challenging process for parents.   One study examined how playing a “tasting game” at home can impact children acceptance of vegetables.   The parent has the ultimate power in choosing which foods to bring into the home. However, picky eaters can make it difficult to resist purchasing “junk food” or the select foods the child is willing to eat.   Past studies have found that offering a sample of the vegetable followed by a reward can encourage children to be more willing to eat vegetables.   The name of the program in this study was called Tiny Tastes.   The children were offered small samples of vegetables each day to try. The kids that tried the foods were given a sticker as reward.   There were 196 children in the intervention group. At baseline, only 39 children would try new foods; after the intervention 141 would eat the foods.   Consistency is key and providing a small reward for eat...