tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69877015660928704472024-03-08T08:24:28.311-08:00NutritionandMediaTeenFutureshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04966081538474040206noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-53787739686859110192010-02-11T14:26:00.000-08:002010-02-11T14:32:40.509-08:00Junk Food Movie Product PlacementsNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A majority of the<br />top-grossing films in recent years have featured<br />food and beverage product placements -- with junk<br />food and fast-food restaurants grabbing most of<br />the starring roles, a new study finds.<br /><br />LINK: <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-0857v1">Junk food gets spotlight in many movies: study</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-67302846821506021462009-10-07T13:40:00.000-07:002009-10-07T13:44:24.290-07:00Social Marketing Examples from Promotion Board Presentationhttp://www.fvcampaign.org/SocialMarketingExamples.htmlUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-1654167167941297462009-09-08T12:36:00.000-07:002009-09-08T12:37:27.213-07:00Sugar StacksFollow this link and read more about sugar that is in popular drinks and other popular highly advertised foods products.<br />http://sugarstacks.com/shakes.htmUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-88665282178720691612009-09-04T13:01:00.000-07:002009-09-04T13:02:40.187-07:00Don't Drink Yourself Fat.New York State has shelved the idea of a tax on sugary sodas and juice drinks. But New York City's public health officials opened a new front in their struggle against high-calorie beverages on Monday, unveiling an ad campaign that depicts globs of human fat gushing from a soda bottle.<br /><br />"Are you pouring on the pounds?" asks the ad, which urges viewers to consider water, seltzer or low-fat milk instead, and warns: "Don't drink yourself fat." The ad - which cost about $277,000 to develop over three fiscal years, including money for creative work and focus groups - will run in 1,500 subway cars for three months. (The $90,000 cost of the subway advertisement comes through a private donor, the Fund for Public Health in New York.)<br /><br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/09/01/nyregion/01fat.ready.htmlUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-88734532837492992062009-08-10T13:41:00.000-07:002009-08-10T13:43:48.440-07:00Restaurants Need To Heed Kids' Health SavvyAccording to a new "Kids & Moms Consumer Trend Report" from food service consultant Technomic and children-focused brand marketing agency C3, kids are showing a growing awareness of nutrition. This growing "health savvy" among kids is attributed to exposure to nutritional information.<br /><br />http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=111297Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-8790506046456891722009-08-10T13:33:00.000-07:002009-08-10T13:34:25.935-07:00Screen Time Boosts Kids' Blood PressureToo Much TV, Computer Use May Elevate Blood Pressure in Young Children<br />Bill Hendrick, WebMD, Aug 4, 2009<br /><br />Too much "screen time," whether it's watching TV, using a computer,<br />or playing a video game, may raise the blood pressure of young<br />children, a new study shows.<br /><br />This is true even if the children are not obese or overweight,<br />researchers report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics &<br />Adolescent Medicine.<br /><br />The researchers say they found -- apparently for the first time -- a<br />link between sedentary behavior and elevated blood pressure in<br />children aged 3 through 8. The findings suggest that increased media<br />exposure for children may be much worse for children's health than<br />previously thought, the study's co-author Joe Eisenmann, PhD, says in<br />a news release. Eisenmann is a professor in Michigan State<br />University's Department of Kinesiology and a former colleague of the<br />study's lead author David Martinez-Gomez, BSc, of Iowa State University.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-63886485112331023962009-07-17T17:52:00.000-07:002009-07-17T17:56:56.376-07:00Subway, 'National Geo Kids' Team On PromoKarlene Lukovitz / Mediapost.com / MarketingDaily / July 6, 2009<br /><br />A new campaign co-sponsored by National Geographic Kids magazine and Subway features magazine-branded toys included in the Subway Fresh Fit for Kids meals and a contest to win a trip for four to Alaska.<br />The toys, available while supplies last, include exploration-themed items such as a compass, an endangered species expedition map, and an adventure journal.<br /><br />Kids ages six to 14 who are U.S. citizens may enter the trip contest on kids.nationaleographic.com by writing a short (100 words or less) personal essay describing their greatest adventure.<br /><br />The campaign, which launched Monday, is being supported by an integrated advertising program that includes a cover wrap and themed double-sided explorer activity cards in the magazine, as well as custom puzzler games and other content on the campaign's microsite.<br /><br />http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=109259Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-36615132819574343122009-07-01T16:51:00.001-07:002009-07-01T16:51:46.211-07:00Fast Food: Would You Like 1,000 Calories with That?Fast Food: Would You Like 1,000 Calories with That?<br /><br />Sean Gregory, TIME Magazine, Jun 29, 2009<br /><br />How sloppy is that triple Whopper with cheese? It<br />has 1,250 calories, or 62.5% of the recommended<br />2,000-calories-per-day diet. The Fried Macaroni<br />and Cheese from the Cheesecake Factory? Try 1,570<br />calories ? according to health experts, you're<br />better off eating a stick of butter.<br /><br />If public-health advocates, and now the Senate,<br />get their way, when you look at a menu from a<br />chain restaurant, those calorie counts will be<br />staring you down. "Order me if you dare," the<br />mighty Quesadilla Burger from Applebee's (1,440<br />calories) may entreat. Spurred by the passage of<br />a slew of state and local menu-labeling laws, on<br />June 10 the Senate reached a bipartisan agreement<br />to include a federal menu-labeling law as part of<br />comprehensive health-care reform. Of course, who<br />knows when that hornet's nest will come up for a<br />vote. But in the meantime, health proponents are<br />likening the Senate provision to legal<br />requirements for a clothing label ? i.e., what<br />it's made of. "Isn't information that can help<br />you avoid obesity and diabetes as important as<br />knowing how to wash your blouse?" says Margot<br />Wootan, director of nutrition policy for the<br />nonpartisan Center for Science in the Public<br />Interest. (See how many calories are in the<br />Dunkin' Donuts Sausage, Supreme Omelet & Cheese Bagel.)<br /><br />Until recently, the restaurant industry had been<br />pushing a federal bill that would require chains<br />with 20 or more restaurants nationwide to post<br />calorie information somewhere near the point of<br />purchase but not on the menu itself. The industry<br />claimed menu postings would be a costly<br />logistical burden and would clutter valuable real<br />estate on the menus. Not surprisingly, chains<br />won't voice the most obvious argument against<br />high-profile calorie counts. "They're concerned<br />that consumers will be turned off by what they<br />see," says Tom Forte, restaurant analyst at the<br />Telsey Advisory Group, a consulting firm.<br /><br />In the end, the industry backed the Senate's<br />on-the-menu provision in an effort to pre-empt a<br />patchwork of state and local statutes (13 have<br />passed, and 30 or so more have been introduced).<br />Such legislation would prevent a municipality<br />from requiring both calories and, say, saturated<br />fat to be tallied on menus. (The fried macaroni<br />and cheese at the Cheesecake Factory has a<br />staggering 69 grams of saturated fat ? more than<br />you should eat in 3? days.) (See how many<br />calories are in the McDonald's Chocolate Triple Thick Shake.)<br /><br />As the menu-labeling momentum keeps surging, will<br />such policy really improve eating habits? Well,<br />it can do no worse than what's out there. In a<br />study published in the May issue of the American<br />Journal of Public Health, researchers observed<br />4,311 patrons of McDonald's, Burger King,<br />Starbucks and Au Bon Pain to see if they accessed<br />in-store nutrition data. The info was not on the<br />menu board but in a pamphlet, on a wall poster or<br />an on-site computer. Only six, or 0.1%, of the<br />patrons looked at the numbers. Sure, a few more<br />may have already studied the information. But six<br />out of 4,311? If restaurants are sincere about<br />health, they need to put calorie counts on the<br />menu, straight in the customers' sight lines.<br />(See how many calories are in the Starbucks Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate.)<br /><br />So far, mandatory on-the-menu calorie counts have<br />been implemented in only three localities:<br />Washington's King County (which includes<br />Seattle), New York City and Westchester County, a<br />suburb of New York. And since none of these<br />provisions have been in place for more than a<br />year, nutritionists have yet to gather empirical<br />proof that they work. But some science suggests<br />that prominently displayed calorie counts steer<br />purchases. In 2007, researchers in New York City<br />examined consumer eating habits at Subway, which<br />voluntarily posted calorie info in its stores.<br />This study, also published in the American<br />Journal of Public Health, reported that Subway<br />patrons who pondered the calorie information<br />purchased 52 fewer calories than those who<br />didn't. Further, according to a survey conducted<br />in February by Technomic, a food-industry<br />consultancy, 82% of New York City residents said<br />the new highly visible nutrition information has<br />affected their ordering. Of those people, 71%<br />said they sought out lower-calorie options, and<br />51% said they no longer ordered certain items.<br />(See how many calories are in the Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries.)<br /><br />While such statistics are promising, menu counts<br />are no silver bullet. Martin Lindstrom, the noted<br />consumer psychologist and author of Buyology:<br />Truths and Lies About Why We Buy, fears that<br />consumers will tune out the numbers long term.<br />"Eventually, calorie counts will just be wallpaper," he says.<br /><br />But forced disclosure could lead more restaurants<br />to change their offerings. A report by New York<br />City health officials noted that since<br />menu-labeling went into effect last summer, some<br />chains have lowered the calorie counts on certain<br />items. For example, in March 2007, a Chicken Club<br />sandwich at Wendy's was listed as being 650<br />calories. In June 2008, as the New York law<br />kicked in, the item was 540 calories ? a 17%<br />drop. (Wendy's used a lower-calorie mayo to<br />reduce the count, but a spokesman insists<br />menu-labeling played no part in the move. Call it<br />a happy coincidence.) (See how many calories are<br />in the Taco Bell Chicken Ranch Fully Loaded Taco Salad.)<br /><br />Meanwhile, Yum! Brands, parent company of<br />Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,<br />has promised to post calorie information on its<br />menus by January 2011. If the creator of KFC's<br />Famous Bowls ? fried chicken, mashed potatoes,<br />corn, gravy and shredded cheese packed together<br />for your gut-busting pleasure ? volunteers to<br />share these numbers, what excuse can other chains<br />claim for not following suit, particularly if<br />Washington lags in forcing them to do so? The<br />writing is on the wall. And perhaps, as a result,<br />fewer calories will be in your stomach.<br /><br />http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1905509,00.html?artId=1905509?contType=article?chn=us<br /><br /><br />Related<br /><br /><br /><br /><http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1905549_1905546,00.html>Top<br />10 Worst Fast Food Meals<br /><br /><http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1824402_1824398,00.html>9<br />Kid Foods to Avoid<br /><br /><http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,1626795,00.html>The<br />Science of Appetite<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-52987993065876663522009-05-12T11:30:00.001-07:002009-05-12T11:30:46.819-07:00MediaPost Publications CSPI Targets Restaurant Food Sodium 05/12/2009<p><a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=105822">MediaPost Publications CSPI Targets Restaurant Food Sodium 05/12/2009</a>: ""</p><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-67343762972299177472009-04-20T19:19:00.001-07:002009-04-20T19:19:14.533-07:00National Nutrition MonthNational Nutrition Month® — <br />The theme for March 2009 is<br />"Eat Right."<br />National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. Registered Dietitian Day, also celebrated in March, increases awareness of registered dietitians as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services and recognizes RDs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.<br /><br />http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/NNM_2007_home.htm<br /><br />You can take the nutrition quiz <a href="http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/NNM_2007_landing_14227_ENU_HTML.htm">here!</a><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-25749521753400690302009-04-17T15:30:00.001-07:002009-04-17T15:30:54.092-07:00Marketing on TwitterHow Bad Is Marketing Spam On Twitter?<br />Bloomberg News<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3451394068" title="View 'Path Finder-1' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3604/3451394068_94a89805cc_o.jpg" alt="Path Finder-1" border="0" width="438" height="280" /></div></a><br />Are marketers ruining the Twitter experience? Bloomberg talks to several people who think so. One woman, who says she signed up for Twitter to keep in touch with friends, is now considering discontinuing her use of the microblogging service because random marketers keep contacting her. Home Depot, for example, wished her luck painting her room, a medical company recommended a device for helping her with her ear infection, and a DJ recently told her to check out his new single. "I don't want random people contacting me," she said. "Don't try to sell yourself through my Twitter."<br /><br />Christopher Peri, founder of TwittFilter, which lets Twitter users restrict who can follow their updates, agrees. "It is starting to get out of control," he said. "The original value of Twitter is friends talking to friends. When someone says, 'I'm going to pimp this product,' it's no longer a social media." Meanwhile, the microblogging service continues to grow like a weed. According to the most recent data from comScore, visitors to Twitter.com increased to 9.31 million in March, compared to just 524,000 last year. And the more Twitter grows, the more companies are interested in reaching its users.<br /><br />Most approaches to using the site are not intrusive, but some companies are using it solely to send unsolicited marketing messages. Twitter tried to stamp out the problem earlier this month by disabling a feature that allows users to automatically follow people who follow them. "Spam will always be an issue that requires attention," co-founder Biz Stone said. "Our goal is to stay ahead of spam and keep the user experience great for folks on Twitter." - Read the whole story...<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-83038507083209619182009-03-17T18:21:00.001-07:002009-03-17T18:21:26.291-07:00It all starts with diet
<br />*********************************************<br /> Center for Family and Community Health<br /> School of Public Health<br /> University of California, Berkeley<br /> http://cfch.berkeley.edu<br /> A CDC Center for Chronic Disease Prevention<br /> and Health Promotion Research<br />*********************************************<br /><br /><br />It all starts with diet<br /><br />Federal 'guidelines' are too fatty<br /><br />T. Colin Campbell,Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., San Francisco Chronicle,<br />March 17, 2009<br /><br />As scientific researchers who have spent our careers establishing the<br />link between diet and disease, we find President Obama's directive on<br />"restoring scientific integrity to government decision-making" very<br />welcome news.<br /><br />We hope this will lead to health care policy that is informed by<br />America's most ignored scientific fact on health: That a whole-foods<br />plant-based diet can prevent and in many cases reverse heart disease,<br />diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases.<br /><br />Today's health care debate has very little to do with what makes us<br />sick. It is centered almost entirely on who gets covered and who<br />pays. Extending coverage to more people is a good thing. But<br />Americans who already are covered are suffering rising rates of<br />chronic disease. Lack of coverage is not causing their disease, and<br />expanding coverage won't cure these diseases in others. We have to do<br />more than increase coverage.<br /><br />The No. 1 cause and cure of America's health care crisis is right<br />under your nose - it's what you put in your mouth.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the scientific findings on diet and disease are<br />marginalized by the political power of huge, mutually reinforcing<br />commercial interests - meat, dairy, sugar, drugs and surgery.<br /><br />These industries are desperate to sell a solution that obscures their<br />part in the problem. If they can convince people that the cause of<br />our health crisis has nothing to do with eating unhealthy food, and<br />everything to do with increasing access to drugs and surgery,<br />Americans will spend trillions more on health care without improving<br />their health. That's what happens when you leave science out of public policy.<br /><br />If President Obama wants Americans to get the full benefit of<br />scientific research on health, then he should add three measures to<br />his health reforms.<br /><br />One: Change the way government develops its dietary guidelines. Right<br />now, the U.S. government's most widely publicized dietary<br />recommendations are deadly. The Food and Nutrition Board's 2002<br />report says that to reduce degenerative diseases like heart disease<br />and cancer, we can consume up to 35 percent of our calories as fat,<br />up to 35 percent of our calories as protein and up to 25 percent of<br />calories as added sugars.<br /><br />Here is a daily diet that meets those nutrition guidelines:<br />Breakfast: 1 cup Fruit Loops; 1 cup skim milk; 1 package M&M milk<br />chocolate candies; fiber and vitamin supplements. Lunch: Grilled<br />cheddar cheeseburger. Dinner: 3 slices pepperoni pizza, with a<br />16-ounce soda and 1 serving Archway sugar cookies.<br /><br />This helps explain why 12-year-old schoolchildren develop thickening<br />of their carotid arteries to the brain, and 80 percent of 20-year-old<br />soldiers, dying in combat, are found to have coronary artery heart disease.<br /><br />How could the government distribute this information and call it<br />science? Members of the committee had financial ties to industries<br />that benefit from higher protein and sugar allowances, and the panel<br />was partly funded by corporate money.<br /><br />The Obama administration should establish a rule: No scientist with<br />financial ties to the food and drug industries should chair - or<br />choose the members of - panels that set dietary guidelines.<br /><br />Two: President Obama should establish a new institute at the National<br />Institutes of Health dedicated exclusively to exploring the link<br />between diet, health and disease. Today, there are 27 institutes and<br />centers at the National Institutes of Health, but none devoted to<br />nutrition, despite the great public interest in the subject. For the<br />sake of the people who pay the bills, it's time for NIH to dedicate<br />an institute to studying the effect of nutrition on health.<br /><br />Three: Congress should require that medical schools - as a condition<br />of receiving federal grants - offer residency programs on dietary<br />approaches to preventing and treating disease. Americans don't<br />understand the disease-fighting power of a good diet because their<br />doctors don't. Medical schools teach a drug-centered curriculum. They<br />do not learn about the many population-based studies that show the<br />connection between diet and disease. They do not review the<br />biochemical studies on disease formation that support the<br />population-based studies. And they do not study the results found in<br />treating disease with diet in clinical settings. Drugs and surgery<br />can offer miraculous benefits in certain cases. But it's<br />unconscionable for doctors not to know about - or tell their patients<br />about - the preventive and healing power of food.<br /><br />These three proposals won't cost much, and they will pay back our<br />investment a million-fold by making people healthier and reducing<br />health care costs. Moreover, they reflect a commitment - expressed by<br />the White House last week - to finally let the public enjoy the<br />health benefits of scientific research.<br /><br />T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of nutritional<br />biochemistry at Cornell University. He is co-author of "The China<br />Study." Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., M.D., former president of the<br />American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, is a preventive medicine<br />consultant at the Cleveland Clinic. He is the author of "Prevent and<br />Reverse Heart Disease."<br /><br />http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/17/ED3K16FAI8.DTL<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-14812741257359624702009-03-17T17:14:00.001-07:002009-03-17T17:14:55.487-07:00 Soda WarsMediaPost Pubications Coke Joins Pepsi in Move to Slow Soda Decline 01/22/2009<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3363503147" title="View 'Coca-Cola Ads _ Coca-Cola Commercials and Ads-1' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3564/3363503147_9b50881488_o.jpg" alt="Coca-Cola Ads _ Coca-Cola Commercials and Ads-1" border="0" width="314" height="207" /></div></a><br /><br /><br />Ready for the return of the Cola Wars? On the heels of Pepsi's "Refresh Everything" campaign, which uses a redesigned logo similar to the one President Barack Obama used during his campaign, Coca-Cola has unveiled a new marketing effort and tagline, "Open Happiness."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3364323458" title="View 'refresh.jpg 590×320 pixels' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3660/3364323458_9f78cf4385_o.jpg" alt="refresh.jpg 590×320 pixels" border="0" width="585" height="317" /></div></a><br /><br />" It's fascinating to me that both Coke and Pepsi at the same time are launching big new campaigns and big marketing blitzes behind their flagship colas," John Sicher, editor and publisher of Beverage Digest, tells Marketing Daily. "It's probably the most directly competitive I've seen these two companies over their big colas in over a decade."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3364323476" title="View 'Pepsi Refresh' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/3364323476_96e9b34b1c_o.jpg" alt="Pepsi Refresh" border="0" width="297" height="50" /></div></a> <br /><br />Coke launched its new campaign this week with television advertising during broadcasts of "American Idol" on Fox. The beverage marketer will also hit other high-profile advertising events like the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards. The campaign will roll out globally over the coming weeks.<br /><br />One of the new television commercials for the U.S. depicts people using their digital devices (computers, phones, etc.) and turning into their alter-ego online avatars. When one man--who has not turned into his avatar--reaches for a Coke at the same time as a scary-looking beast, the beast turns into a pretty woman and a real-life connection is made. Another ad humorously depicts what could occur if something happened to one of the two men who know Coke's secret formula ("Cookouts would be catastrophic." and "Santa would be sleepy.").<br /><br />In addition to the television ads, the effort also includes new point-of-sale, promotions, outdoor, print and music components. One of the new commercials will feature a music track that will be released as a commercial music single. The music is billed as a collaboration between recording artists from Gnarls Barkley, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco and Gym Class Heroes.<br /><br />"Open Happiness is designed to work at every level--from national advertising all the way down to coolers and store shelves, with a clear call to action at the point of purchase," said Coca-Cola Chief Marketing Officer Joe Tripodi in a statement. "The combination of inspirational marketing and in-store execution in collaboration with our bottling partners worldwide will ensure we continue to reinvigorate the sparkling category."<br /><br />Coke's launch comes only weeks after Pepsi introduced an effort tagged "Refresh Everything." As part of its campaign, Pepsi had a presence at Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, with headlines featuring "Yes you can" and a redesigned logo similar to the image Obama used during his presidential campaign. As part of the campaign, the company created a Web site through which people could upload a video message to Obama.<br /><br />The timing of the two efforts is not coincidental, Sicher says. Sales of carbonated soft drinks have been declining, as sales of bottled water and energy drinks have grown. With the economy slowing and sales of bottled water and energy drinks softening, it's time for the two companies to focus on their core brands, he says.<br /><br />"These two brands are so big relative to the rest of their companies' portfolios that if they don't do better than they've been doing, getting the strong beverage growth is going to be difficult," Sicher says. "These efforts by Coke and Pepsi won't return these brands to growth anytime soon, but could begin decreasing the rate of decline and maybe even get them back to break-even in terms of volume."<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-74499335171698338302009-03-17T17:04:00.001-07:002009-03-17T17:04:41.630-07:00A diet rich in fat, sugar and cholesterol...<br />A diet rich in fat, sugar and cholesterol could lead to similar changes in substances in the brain which are also seen in the development of Alzheimers, according to a new study.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3364304276" title="View 'Google Image Result for http___www.diabetes-idiet.com_assets_images_MyPyramid_2.jpg' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3550/3364304276_4f0263dac6_o.jpg" alt="Google Image Result for http___www.diabetes-idiet.com_assets_images_MyPyramid_2.jpg" border="0" width="427" height="128" /></div></a><br /><br />Mice that were fed for nine months on the diet, which represents the nutritional content of most fast food, developed abnormalities in the brain similar to those observed in the brains of Alzheimers patients, said the study published in a doctoral thesis from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet (KI).<br /><br />The research offers some indication of the role that diet could play in prevention of the disease which currently affects an estimated 5.2m Americans.<br /><br />Researcher Susanne Akterin, a postgraduate at KI Alzheimers Disease Research Center, told FoodNavigator-USA.com: Several studies have been published during the last years linking diet with the development with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and especially too much cholesterol have been found to be particularly bad.<br /><br />This is probably because the brain is an organ that is especially rich in cholesterol and where cholesterol has many functions, and therefore is tightly regulated.<br /><br />When you eat too much cholesterol this regulation will be disturbed, leading to many negative effects.<br /><br />All kinds of food that contain a lot of fat, sugar and cholesterol is likely to have the same bad consequences.<br /><br />Considering the lack of effective medication for this dreadful disease, to prevent the disease from developing in the first place would be desirable.<br /><br />Akterin said the most common risk factor in Alzheimers disease is a variant of a certain gene that governs the production of apolipoprotein E, which transport cholesterol. The gene variant is called apoE4 and is found in 15-20 percent of the population.<br /><br />The research team studied mice that had been genetically modified to mimic the effects of apoE4 in humans for her doctoral thesis.<br /><br />They noted an increase in phosphate groups attached to tau, a substance that forms the neurofibrillary tangles observed in Alzheimers patients, which prevent the cells from functioning normally and eventually leads to their death.<br /><br />They also saw indications that cholesterol in food reduced levels of another brain substance, Arc, a protein involved in memory storage.<br /><br />Akterin said: We now suspect that a high intake of fat and cholesterol in combination with genetic factors, such as apoE4, can adversely affect several brain substances, which can be a contributory factor in the development of Alzheimers.<br /><br />All in all, the results give some indication of how Alzheimers can be prevented, but more research in this field needs to be done before proper advice can be passed on to the general public.<br /><br />Previous research has shown that a phenomenon known as oxidative stress in the brain and a relatively low intake of dietary antioxidants can also increase the risk of Alzheimers.<br /><br />Thesis: From cholesterol to oxidative stress in Alzheimers disease: A wide perspective on a multifactorial disease<br /><br />Author: Susanne Akterin, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, KI Alzheimers Disease Research Center, Karolinska Institutet.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-42803887461896525332009-03-17T17:00:00.001-07:002009-03-17T17:00:52.759-07:00Burger King and the Simpsonshttp://www.kidscreen.com/articles/news/20081110/simpsons.html<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3364295450" title="View 'Kidscreen >> Mmm....Kids Meal_ BK embarks on Simpsons promo' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3574/3364295450_e6eb99453b_o.jpg" alt="Kidscreen >> Mmm....Kids Meal_ BK embarks on Simpsons promo" border="0" width="439" height="300" /></div></a><br /><br />After 20 years on the air, The Simpsons is marking another first in the licensing and promo realm as Burger King rolls out its largest Kids Meal program based on a TV series today.<br /><br />The Hang Out With The Simpsons! promo is rolling out simultaneously in the US and 58 other territories across the globe and is being supported by an extensive marketing campaign, including national TV advertising (the US, Turkey, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Argentina and New Zealand) and in-restaurant promotions. The promo will also have a spot on the QSR's dedicated kids site www.ClubBK.com. The US version of the site is sporting a new Simpsons game and the campaign gets the spotlight in the company's Adventures Newsletter domestically.<br /><br />Hang Out With the Simpsons! Kids Meal buyers will receive one of six new character-themed collector toys that join together so kids can put their own spin on the couch adventure, a.k.a. the iconic opening sequence of The Simpsons where Homer, Bart et. al. gather in front of the TV.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-8334580123827750142009-03-17T16:56:00.001-07:002009-03-17T16:59:02.335-07:00Affluent Consumers Eating More Fast FoodAffluent consumers increased their visits to fast-food burger restaurants, but cut back on visits to the more upscale chains within the family restaurants category in the months following the economic "meltdown" in early October.<br />Those are among the restaurant-related trends emerging from newly released Experian Simmons data from the latest three-month wave of the Simmons National Consumer Study (Fall 2008).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3363471151" title="View 'Safari-2' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3663/3363471151_baeeda175a_o.jpg" alt="Safari-2" border="0" width="198" height="123" /></div></a><br />The preliminary data reflects week-by-week trends for the period spanning Aug. 18 to Dec. 8 last year. Because the data are not yet weighted (fully projected to the U.S. population), absolute percentages are not claimed to be exact; however, the relative percentages are indicative of trends across time.<br /><br />Following the meltdown (pegged at Oct. 3), the data show a distinct uptick in reported recent (last 30 days) visits to fast-food burger chains among households with incomes of $75,000 and above.<br /><br />Furthermore, the uptrend was more marked among the highest incomes levels. For example, the percentage of consumers with household incomes of $100,000+ having visited one (unnamed) burger chain jumped from 50.1% pre-meltdown to 57.3% post-meltdown, and the percentage reporting visiting a second unnamed burger chain rose from 25.7% to 31.3%.<br /><br />Simmons Experian notes that a simultaneous downward trend post-meltdown in the numbers of consumers with a household income of $75,000+ indicating that they try to eat gourmet food as often as possible seems to corroborate that their eating patterns were affected by the onset of the economic crisis.<br /><br />http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=100216&passFuseAction=PublicationsSearch.showSearchReslts&art_searched=affluent&page_number=0Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-29083282649017961662008-12-19T14:32:00.001-08:002008-12-19T14:32:21.126-08:00Burger King releases meat-scented cologne - Telegraph<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3121538876" title="View 'burger-king-burger_1207478c' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3121538876_a47962a42c_o.jpg" alt="burger-king-burger_1207478c" border="0" width="460" height="288" /></div></a><p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3797892/Burger-King-releases-meat-scented-cologne.html">Burger King releases meat-scented cologne - Telegraph</a>: ""</p><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-32226893699360000552008-12-19T14:30:00.001-08:002009-03-17T17:22:34.556-07:00McDonald's first restaurant chain to surpass ¥500 billion in sales<p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/japantimes/~3/S4EvT23dj8k/nb20081220a5.html">McDonald's first restaurant chain to surpass ¥500 billion in sales</a>: "McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan) said Thursday that sales at its network of shops are likely to top ¥500 billion in the 2008 business year, making it the first restaurant chain in Japan to surpass half a trillion yen in annual sales. <br /> The U.S. fast food chain opened its first shop in Japan in Tokyo's posh Ginza district in July 1971.<br/><br /><br/><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-61701532078827173002008-12-03T20:06:00.001-08:002008-12-03T20:06:54.032-08:00McDonald's Hedges Bets With Dual Burger StrategyMcDonald's Hedges Bets With Dual Burger Strategy<br />by Karlene Lukovitz, Monday, December 1, 2008, 3:30 PM<br />Media Post News<br /><br /><br />McDonald's decision to pull a dual-burger maneuver in the face of rising cheese costs that have been eating into the profitability of its phenomenally successful 99-cent Double Cheeseburger is an inspired compromise, say restaurant industry analysts.<br /><br /><br />The strategy, announced just before the Thanksgiving holiday, consists of raising the price of the famed Double Cheeseburger--which features two cheese slices--from 99 cents to $1.19 and simultaneously replacing it on the Dollar Menu with a new "McDouble" that's identical save for its single slice of cheese.<br /><br />The changes went into effect as of Monday in corporate-owned stores, and McDonald's will begin national advertising around its revised Dollar Menu on Jan. 5, according to Bloomberg News. While pricing at the franchise stores that account for about 80% of McDonald's nearly 13,900 U.S. locations is up to the operators, U.S. franchisees endorsed the changes during November, Bloomberg reported.<br /><br />Diehard fans of the Double Cheeseburger, McDonald's franchisees and the chain's competitors alike had been left to speculate about the item's fate since The Wall Street Journal outed the possibility of changes being afoot back in early August. Faced with dwindling margins on the Double Cheeseburger as commodities hikes forced up cheese prices, some franchises had taken to cutting their losses via strategies that ranged from upping the price of the traditional double-slice burger, to keeping the $1 price but reducing the cheese from two slices to one, to offering the burger sans cheese.<br /><br />Wendy's quickly moved to gain some leverage during the period of uncertainty by replacing its 99-cent Stack Attack with a slightly different--although already existing--99-cent burger, the Double Stack Cheeseburger, and launching a marketing push for two existing 99-cent sandwiches on its Value Menu.<br /><br />McDonald's, however, was not about to make a precipitous move, given that the Double Cheeseburger has been the anchor of its eight-item Dollar Menu since the menu's inception in 2003. The Dollar Menu is not only a powerful traffic driver, but has been estimated to account for about 14% of the chain's sales.<br /><br />The Dollar Menu has also been key in enabling McDonald's to draw in cash-strapped consumers during this trying economic year and continue showing increases in same-store sales in most recent months. QSR magazine reported an increase of 3.4% in U.S. same-store sales for the second quarter and a 5.3% U.S. same-store increase for the month of October (globally, same-store sales rose by 6.1% and 8.2% for those two respective periods).<br /><br />"McDonald's had to simultaneously accomplish two very important objectives: Make sure that the value proposition continued to be strong enough to compete effectively with all of the other value menu options out there, and ensure that the margin was sufficient for its franchisees to make a fair profit," sums up Dennis Lombardi, EVP, foodservice strategies for WD Partners, a design and development firm for restaurants and retail chains. "Their solution was a compromise that achieves both requirements."<br /><br />While Lombardi notes that some franchisees and some consumers are bound to find fault with the strategy, he points out that McDonald's undoubtedly tested the move and was very confident that there would be minimal, if any, impact on sales. "If they had raised the Double Cheeseburger's price by a dollar, maybe there might have been a negative affect on traffic and sales. But as it is, people will just try out the new burger with the single cheese slice and decide for themselves whether it's worth spending the extra 20 cents for the Double Cheeseburger," he says.<br /><br />Various financial analysts were also quoted in the press as predicting that the menu changes will improve profits while having no discernible affect on sales--although some have also expressed the opinion that even McDonald's is unlikely to be able to sustain comparable-store gains if the economy remains in the dumps well into 2009, as is generally expected.<br /><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-86991516058846582752008-12-01T15:50:00.001-08:002008-12-01T15:50:56.161-08:00MTV HD and Nickelodeon/Kid's showsLatAm pick-up strong for MTVNI kids/music HD service<br />by: Emily Claire Afan Dec 1, 2008 Share email this article<br /><br />Viacom-owned MTV Networks International's first HD service featuring kids and music programming will be available in 10 new countries by 2009.<br /><br />With feeds into 17 countries already established, the 24-hour English-language channel will soon be open for business in the UK (Sky), Israel (HOT), Uruguay (DirecTV Panamericana), Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and the Caribbean Islands.<br /><br />MTVNHD's programming lineup consists of original and acquired music-based and kids shows from MTVNI's library, along with Nickelodeon weekend blocks that include SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Legend of Aang and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-56208916044091363342008-11-23T09:59:00.001-08:002008-11-23T09:59:43.778-08:00The New York Times Magazine - Features - Columns - Style - The New York Times<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html">The New York Times Magazine - Features - Columns - Style - The New York Times</a>: ""</p><br /><br /><p>(Via <a href=""></a>.)</p><br /><br />The Screens Issue<br />What We Watch and How We Watch It<br /><br />Every fall the magazine publishes a special issue about Hollywood, a celebration and investigation of that unique experience called moviegoing: sitting in a dark theater for two hours with a few hundred strangers and being entertained by flickering lights and amplified sound. This year, we’ve stretched the issue to reflect a new reality: when you watch moving pictures these days, a theater is the last place you are likely to be. Cable, YouTube, DVDs, DVR, news briefs in the elevator and cartoons on your cellphone — through a variety of media, we now consume fragmented narratives on multiple screens. From a 16-second panda-sneeze video to 60 straight hours of “The Wire,” this is the way we watch now.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13129818@N05/3052776739" title="View 'Aniston New York Times' on Flickr.com"><div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/3052776739_fe1fa8d0f1_o.jpg" alt="Aniston New York Times" border="0" width="393" height="484" /></div></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-27796413193200684962008-11-21T20:19:00.001-08:002008-11-21T20:19:03.274-08:00TV Ads Contribute to Childhood Obesity, Economists Say - NYTimes.com<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/health/research/21obesity.html?_r=2&em&oref=slogin">TV Ads Contribute to Childhood Obesity, Economists Say - NYTimes.com</a>: ""</p><br /><br /><p>(Via <a href=""></a>.)</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-36288255607951906492008-11-20T17:59:00.001-08:002008-11-20T17:59:56.223-08:00Get moving: Guidelines set healthy activity levelsGet moving: Guidelines set healthy activity levels<br /><br />Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press, Oct 7, 2008<br /><br />WASHINGTON (AP) ? Get moving: The nation's new<br />exercise guidelines set a minimum sweat allotment<br />for good health. For most adults, that's 2 1/2 hours a week.<br /><br />How much physical activity you need depends<br />largely on age and level of fitness.<br /><br />Moderate exercise adds up for sluggish adults.<br />Rake leaves, take a quick walk around the block<br />or suit up for the neighborhood softball game.<br />More fit adults could pack in their week's<br />requirement in 75 minutes with vigorous exercise,<br />such as jogging, hiking uphill, a bike race or speedy laps in the pool.<br /><br />Children and teens need more ? pretty brisk<br />activities for at least an hour a day, say the<br />government guidelines being released Tuesday.<br /><br />Consider it the exercise version of the food<br />pyramid. The guidelines, from the Health and<br />Human Services Department, aim to end years of<br />confusion about how much physical activity is<br />enough, while making clear that there are lots of ways to achieve it.<br /><br />"The easy message is get active, whatever your<br />way is. Get active your way," HHS Secretary<br />Michael Leavitt told The Associated Press.<br /><br />It's OK to start slowly. Someone who's done no<br />exercising will start seeing benefits with as<br />little as 10 minutes of moderately intense<br />exercise a day, which is an incentive to work up<br />to the recommended amounts, said Rear Adm.<br />Penelope Royall, deputy assistant secretary for disease prevention.<br /><br />"Some is better than nothing, and more is better," she said.<br /><br />The guidelines come as scientists are trying to<br />spread the word to a nation of couch potatoes<br />that how active you are may be the most important<br />indicator of good health. Yet a quarter of U.S.<br />adults aren't active at all in their leisure<br />time, government research concludes. More than<br />half don't get enough of the kind of physical<br />activity that actually helps health ? walking<br />fast enough to raise your heart rate, not just<br />meandering, for instance. More than 60 million adults are obese.<br /><br />Worse, the nation is raising a generation of<br />children who may be less healthy than their<br />parents. About a third are overweight and 16<br />percent are obese. And while young children are<br />naturally active given the chance, schools are<br />decreasing the amount of recess and gym time. By<br />high school, a recent study found, fewer than a<br />third of teens are getting an hour of activity a day.<br /><br />To put science behind the how-much-is-enough<br />debate, HHS gathered an expert panel to review<br />all the data. The panel found that regular<br />physical activity can cut the risk of heart<br />attacks and stroke by at least 20 percent, reduce<br />chances of early death, and help people avoid<br />high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon and<br />breast cancer, fractures from age-weakening bones and depression.<br /><br />The government used that scientific report to set the minimum activity levels.<br /><br />The kind of exercise matters a lot, said Dr.<br />William Kraus, a Duke University cardiologist who<br />co-authored the scientific report. Runners like<br />Kraus can achieve the same health benefit in a<br />fraction of the time of a walker.<br /><br />"If you do it more intense, you can do less<br />time," explained Kraus, who praised the<br />guidelines for offering that flexibility. "This<br />brings it back down to earth for a lot of people."<br /><br />What's the right kind of exercise? The guidelines advise:<br /><br />_You don't have get all the activity at once. A<br />walk for an hour three days a week works as well<br />as, say, a 30-minute exercise class on weekdays<br />or saving most of the activity for a two-hour Saturday bike ride.<br /><br />_For aerobic activities, go at least 10 minutes<br />at a time to build heart rate enough to count.<br /><br />_You should be able to talk while doing moderate<br />activities but not catch enough breath to sing.<br />With vigorous activities, you can say only a few<br />words without stopping to catch a breath.<br /><br />_Children's daily hour should consist of mostly<br />moderate or vigorous aerobic activity, such as<br />skateboarding, bike riding, soccer, simple running.<br /><br />_Three times a week, children and teens need to<br />include muscle-strengthening activities ?<br />sit-ups, tug-of-war ? and bone-strengthening<br />activities, such as jumping rope or skipping.<br /><br />_Adults should do muscle-strengthening activities<br />? push-ups, weight training, carrying heavy loads<br />or heavy gardening ? at least two days a week.<br /><br />_Older adults who are still physically able to<br />follow the guidelines should do so, with an<br />emphasis on activities that maintain or improve balance.<br /><br />These are minimum goals, the guidelines note.<br />People who do more will see greater benefits.<br /><br />===<br /><br />HHS Announces Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans<br /><br />HHS News Release, Oct 7, 2008<br /><br />Adults gain substantial health benefits from two<br />and a half hours a week of moderate aerobic<br />physical activity, and children benefit from an<br />hour or more of physical activity a day,<br />according to the new Physical Activity Guidelines<br />for Americans. The comprehensive set of<br />recommendations for people of all ages and<br />physical conditions was released today by the<br />U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.<br /><br />The guidelines are designed so people can easily<br />fit physical activity into their daily plan and<br />incorporate activities they enjoy.<br /><br />Physical activity benefits children and<br />adolescents, young and middle-aged adults, older<br />adults, and those in every studied racial and ethnic group, the report said.<br /><br />?It?s important for all Americans to be active,<br />and the guidelines are a roadmap to include<br />physical activity in their daily routine,? HHS<br />Secretary Mike Leavitt said. ?The evidence is<br />clear -- regular physical activity over months<br />and years produces long-term health benefits and<br />reduces the risk of many diseases. The more<br />physically active you are, the more health benefits you gain.?<br /><br />Regular physical activity reduces the risk in<br />adults of early death; coronary heart disease,<br />stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes,<br />colon and breast cancer, and depression. It can<br />improve thinking ability in older adults and the<br />ability to engage in activities needed for daily<br />living. The recommended amount of physical<br />activity in children and adolescents improves<br />cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness as well as<br />bone health, and contributes to favorable body composition.<br /><br />The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans<br />are the most comprehensive of their kind. They<br />are based on the first thorough review of<br />scientific research about physical activity and<br />health in more than a decade. A 13-member<br />advisory committee appointed in April 2007 by<br />Secretary Leavitt reviewed research and produced an extensive report.<br /><br />Key guidelines by group are:<br /><br />Children and Adolescents -- One hour or more of<br />moderate or vigorous aerobic physical activity a<br />day, including vigorous intensity physical<br />activity at least three days a week. Examples of<br />moderate intensity aerobic activities include<br />hiking, skateboarding, bicycle riding and brisk<br />walking. Vigorous intensity aerobic activities<br />include bicycle riding, jumping rope, running and<br />sports such as soccer, basketball and ice or<br />field hockey. Children and adolescents should<br />incorporate muscle-strengthening activities, such<br />as rope climbing, sit-ups, and tug-of war, three<br />days a week. Bone-strengthening activities, such<br />as jumping rope, running and skipping, are recommended three days a week.<br /><br />Adults -- Adults gain substantial health benefits<br />from two and one half hours a week of moderate<br />intensity aerobic physical activity, or one hour<br />and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity.<br />Walking briskly, water aerobics, ballroom dancing<br />and general gardening are examples of moderate<br />intensity aerobic activities. Vigorous intensity<br />aerobic activities include racewalking, jogging<br />or running, swimming laps, jumping rope and<br />hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack. Aerobic<br />activity should be performed in episodes of at<br />least 10 minutes. For more extensive health<br />benefits, adults should increase their aerobic<br />physical activity to five hours a week<br />moderate-intensity or two and one half hours a<br />week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical<br />activity. Adults should incorporate muscle<br />strengthening activities, such as weight<br />training, push-ups, sit-ups and carrying heavy<br />loads or heavy gardening, at least two days a week.<br /><br />Older adults -- Older adults should follow the<br />guidelines for other adults when it is within<br />their physical capacity. If a chronic condition<br />prohibits their ability to follow those<br />guidelines, they should be as physically active<br />as their abilities and conditions allow. If they<br />are at risk of falling, they should also do<br />exercises that maintain or improve balance.<br /><br />Women during pregnancy -- Healthy women should<br />get at least two and one half hours of<br />moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week during<br />pregnancy and the time after delivery, preferably<br />spread through the week. Pregnant women who<br />habitually engage in vigorous aerobic activity or<br />who are highly active can continue during<br />pregnancy and the time after delivery, provided<br />they remain healthy and discuss with their health<br />care provider how and when activity should be adjusted over time.<br /><br />Adults with disabilities -- Those who are able<br />should get at least two and one half hours of<br />moderate aerobic activity a week, or one hour and<br />15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week.<br />They should incorporate muscle-strengthening<br />activities involving all major muscle groups two<br />or more days a week. When they are not able to<br />meet the guidelines, they should engage in<br />regular physical activity according to their<br />abilities and should avoid inactivity.<br /><br />People with chronic medical conditions -- Adults<br />with chronic conditions get important health<br />benefits from regular physical activity. They<br />should do so with the guidance of a health care provider.<br /><br />For more information about the ?Physical Activity<br />Guidelines for Americans,? visit<br /><http://www.hhs.gov/>www.hhs.gov or<br /><http://www.health.gov/paguidelines>www.health.gov/paguidelines.<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-86379263741282966352008-11-20T17:58:00.001-08:002008-11-20T17:58:42.456-08:00
Kids' Cereals: Some Are 50% Sugar<br />Kids' Cereals: Some Are 50% Sugar<br /><br />Consumer Reports Rates Nutritional Winners and Losers<br /><br />Salynn Boyles, WebMD Health News, Oct. 1, 2008<br /><br />Cereal can be a great choice for a quick and nutritious breakfast,<br />but some choices represent the nutritional equivalent of a doughnut<br />in a bowl, according to a new investigation from Consumer Reports.<br /><br />The group evaluated 27 of the breakfast cereals that are most heavily<br />marketed to children, considering not just their sugar content, but<br />also the amount of sodium, fiber, calories, and nutrients in a<br />recommended serving.<br /><br />Two of the worst-rated cereals -- Post's Golden Crisps and Kellogg's<br />Honey Smacks -- were more than 50% sugar with very little fiber.<br /><br />A serving of Honey Smacks has 15 grams of sugar -- 3 more grams than<br />is found in a Dunkin' Donuts glazed doughnut. Golden Crisps has 14<br />grams of sugar in a 3/4 cup serving and less than 1 gram of fiber.<br /><br />In all, 11 of the tested cereals had 12 or more grams of sugar per<br />serving, or as much as the glazed doughnut, Gayle Williams of<br />Consumer Reports Health tells WebMD.<br /><br />"Parents who would never give their children doughnuts for breakfast<br />may be choosing these cereals without knowing that from a nutritional<br />standpoint they really aren't much better," she says.<br /><br />The Nutritional Winners<br /><br />Four of the tested cereals were judged "Very Good" breakfast choices<br />because they were relatively low in sugar and sodium, had some fiber,<br />were high in iron, and were good sources of calcium.<br /><br />None had more than 9 grams of sugar, less than 2 grams of fiber, or<br />more than 210 milligrams of sodium per serving. They are:<br /> * Cheerios (General Mills), with just 1 gram of sugar, 3 grams of<br />fiber, and 190 milligrams of sodium.<br /> * Kix (General Mills), with 3 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fiber,<br />and 210 milligrams of sodium.<br /> * Life (Quaker Oats), with 6 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber,<br />and 160 milligrams of sodium.<br /> * Honey Nut Cheerios (General Mills), with 9 grams of sugar, 2<br />grams of fiber, and 190 milligrams of sodium.<br />Consumer Reports Medical Advisor Orly Avitzur, MD, tells WebMD that<br />any of these cereals, served with milk and a piece of fruit,<br />represents a good breakfast choice.<br /><br />"These cereals offer fiber and nutrients and they are not full of<br />sugar, which is just empty calories," she says.<br /><br />"Americans are consuming about 15% more added sugars than they did 25<br />years ago, and over that time the percentage of overweight or obese<br />adults has grown from 47% to 66%. During roughly the same time the<br />number of overweight children in the U.S. has doubled."<br /><br />The Worst-Rated Cereals<br /><br />Eight of the 27 rated cereals were scored as "Fair" choices -- the<br />lowest rating given by Consumer Reports. All were low in fiber and<br />most, but not all, were high in sugar.<br /><br />Case in point: Kellogg's Rice Krispies had just 4 grams of sugar per<br />serving, less than most of the other tested cereals. But it still<br />rated poorly because it was high in sodium and had no fiber.<br /><br />Post's Golden Crisp and Kellogg's Honey Smacks made the list because<br />they had the most sugar of any of the cereals tested.<br /><br />Adults might remember these cereals from their childhoods as "Super<br />Sugar Crisp" and "Sugar Smacks." Although the names have been<br />changed, the report notes that "the levels of sugar in the cereals<br />have remained about he same."<br /><br />The five other lowest-rated cereals included:<br /> * Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch (Quaker Oats), with 9 grams<br />of sugar, 1 gram of fiber, and 200 milligrams of sodium in a 3/4 cup serving.<br /> * Cap'n Crunch (Quaker Oats), with 12 grams of sugar, 1 gram of<br />fiber, and 200 milligrams of sodium in a 3/4 cup serving.<br /> * Apple Jacks (Kellogg), with 12 grams of sugar, less than 1 gram<br />of fiber, and 135 milligrams of sodium in a 1 cup serving.<br /> * Froot Loops (Kellogg), with 12 grams of sugar, less than 1 gram<br />of fiber, and 135 milligrams of sodium in a 1 cup serving.<br /> * Corn Pops (Kellogg), with 12 grams of sugar, no fiber, and 110<br />milligrams of sodium in a 1 cup serving.<br />The Middle of the Pack<br /><br />Fifteen of the tested cereals were rated as "Good" choices, but the<br />investigators noted that there was room for improvement in sugar<br />and/or fiber content for most.<br /><br />Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size scored highest of the cereals<br />that got the rating, with 12 grams of sugar, 6 grams of fiber, and<br />just 5 milligrams of sodium.<br /><br />Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Reduced Sugar scored lower than regular<br />Frosted Flakes. Although it had 8 grams of sugar per serving instead<br />of 11 grams, the reduced-sugar version also had more calories and<br />sodium than the original.<br /><br />Cereals rated as "Good" included:<br /> * General Mills: Cookie Crisp, Golden Grahams Honey Graham, Lucky<br />Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Trix, Reese's Puffs.<br /> * Kellogg: Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size, Frosted Flakes Gold,<br />Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Krispies, and Frosted Flakes Reduced Sugar.<br /> * Post: Fruity Pebbles, Honey-Comb, Cocoa Pebbles.<br />Cereal Company Responds<br /><br />In response to the report, a spokeswoman from Kellogg noted that the<br />company has recently reformulated five of its cereals included in the<br />Consumer Reports investigation to make them healthier choices.<br /><br />These reformulated versions began to appear on grocery store shelves<br />in June, but Honey Smacks has not been reformulated.<br /><br />The Consumer Reports article noted that even with the reformulation,<br />the five cereals -- Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Cocoa<br />Krispies, and Apple Jacks -- would still score poorly in a nutrition<br />rating compared to other choices.<br /><br />In a statement, Susanne Norwitz of Kellogg notes that the company<br />continues to work to improve the nutritional content of its products.<br /><br />"Kellogg is committed to investing and innovation and looking to<br />improve our products' nutritional profiles wherever possible," she<br />says in the statement. "Our ready-to-eat cereals, including the<br />pre-sweetened varieties, are nutrient dense, low in fat, and many are<br />excellent sources of dietary fiber. Additionally, according to the<br />government data, breakfast cereal consumption has been associated<br />with lower (weight) in kids."<br /><br />She added that the company supports portion control as a "central<br />tenet of achieving weight management and a healthy lifestyle."<br /><br />A spokesman for Ralcorp Holdings, which manufacturers Post cereals,<br />had no comment on the report.<br /><br />SOURCES:<br /><br />Consumer Reports, November 2008.<br /><br />Gayle Williams, deputy editor, Consumer Reports Health.<br /><br />Orly Avitzur, MD, medical advisor, Consumer Reports.<br /><br />Susanne Norwitz, spokeswoman, Kellogg Company.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6987701566092870447.post-26334778684965324362008-11-20T17:57:00.005-08:002008-11-20T17:57:41.559-08:00Health Capsules, News in Health, June 2008 - National Institutes of Health(NIH)<p><a href="http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2008/September/capsules.htm#cap03">Health Capsules, News in Health, June 2008 - National Institutes of Health(NIH)</a>: ""</p><br /><br /><p>(Via <a href=""></a>.)</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0