Where you live can affect your weight, studies find

A child's weight can be determined in part by what neighborhood he or she grows up in, a new series of studies indicate. (Photo by Getty Images)

In one of the studies, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers examined neighborhoods in King County, Wash., and San Diego County, Calif., and rated them in terms of physical activity and nutrition for kids ages 6 to through 11. A neighborhood received a high rating if its residents could easily walk to places like stores, libraries and parks. They also got a good grade if they had several grocery stores where healthy foods are sold, reports Kim Carollo for ABC News.

Poor-rated neighborhoods had few grocery stores or had lots of fast food restaurants. They also had few parks. "The biggest difference we found in rates of obesity were in the places where the environment was good for both nutrition and physical activity, the rates were less than 8 percent, but if the nutrition and physical activity were not good, the rates went up to 16 percent," said Brian Saelens, a co-author and professor of pediatrics at Seattle Children's Research Institute. (Read more)

The findings, explored using geographic information systems, are in keeping with an op-ed piece by Susan Blumenthal, public-health editor for the Huffington Post. Making the link between poverty and obesity, she points out the difference an affordable housing project has made in Greenbridge in King County, an immigrant community where more than 54 percent of adults are overweight or obese and more than 85 percent of children in grades 8, 10 and 12 do not meet federal physical activity recommendations.

The neighborhood is "being designed and built as models for creating an environment that promotes healthy diets and active lifestyles for their residents," she explains. The neighborhood now boasts an elementary school, a Head Start program, a Boys and Girls Club, community gardens to grown fresh fruits and vegetables, a library, play areas, walking path, a food bank, a community center and a public health clinic.

"This integrative approach has turned a trouble neighborhood into a welcoming place to live," she writes. "Initiatives like this one that involve not only individuals but the entire family and community provide a model for how to improve the health of cities across our nation." (Read more)

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How to help your child lose weight? Lose weight yourself

If parents want to help their children lose weight, they should lose weight themselves, a new study shows.

"Parents are the most significant people in a child's environment, serving as the first and most important teachers," said Kerri N. Boutelle, associate professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of California-San Diego. "They play a signifiant role in any weight-loss program for children, and this study confirms the importance of their example in establishing healthy eating and exercise behaviors for their kids."

Researchers analyzed 80 adults who were parent to a 8- to 12-year child who was either overweight or obese for five months. Some adults participated in a parent-only treatment program, while others were in a program designed for themselves and their child.

The study looked at "the impact of three types of parenting skills taught in family-based behavioral treatment for childhood obesity, and the impact of each on the child's body weight: the parent modeling behaviors to promote their own weight loss, changes in home food environment, and parenting style and techniques (for example, a parent's ability to help limit the child's eating behavior, encouraging the child and participating in program activities)," reports research-reporting service Newswise. (Read more)

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Kentucky ranks next to last, Fifth Congressional District dead last in national healthiness and happiness survey

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Kentucky was again next to last among the states in happiness and healthiness of its residents in 2011, ranking above only West Virginia, though precise rankings are uncertain. Eastern Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District ranked at the very bottom of the 436 districts — falling in last place in the categories of life evaluation, emotional health and physical health.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is based on a continuing national survey that asks respondents about their overall sense of well-being, physical health, happiness, job satisfaction and other factors related to quality of life.

Of the 190 cities ranked, Lexington was 95th and Louisville 152nd. Kentucky's well-being score was 63.3 out of a possible 100 points. Hawaii again ranked first, at 70.2. West Virginia's score was 62.3. Because there were fewer than 10 points between first and last place, the rankings are not precise.Kentucky ranked lowest in the country in emotional health, which is based on feelings of happiness and sadness. Respondents were also asked about "physical health (chronic health conditions, obesity); lifestyle behaviors (smoking, diet and exercise); emotional health (feelings of happiness, sadness); work environment (relationship with supervisors); basic access (health care, food); and life evaluation (how they rate their lives)," reports Nanci Hellmich of USA Today.

Results were based on telephone interviews conducted between Jan. 2 and Dec. 29, 2011, producing a random sample of 353,492 adults. The margin of sampling error for most states is plus or minus 1 to 2 percentage points, but as high as plus or minus 4 points for states with small populations such as Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware and Hawaii. (Read more)

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New federal rules on vending machines in schools are expected in the next few weeks

With new lunch standards set to kick in by next school year, the Obama administration is looking at its next target in the school food landscape: vending machines. New guidelines are expected to be released in the coming weeks "for foods that children can buy outside the cafeteria," reports Ron Nixon of The New York Times. Kentucky already has some rules in place, may get stronger as a result of the new guidelines. (NYT photo by Kirsten Luce)

Students eat from one-fifth to one-half of their daily diet at schools, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report 20 percent of American children are obese. As of 2007 in Kentucky, more than 37 percent of children were either obese or overweight, a study by the National Conference of State Legislatures shows. The administration wants to ensure that students eat what is good for them and avoid becoming overweight, Nixon reports, but there is strong pushback from the food and beverage industries.

A study by the National Academy of Sciences reports that about $2.3 billion worth of snack food and drinks are sold each year in schools nationwide. Schools have a stake in the fight as well, with candy sold in fundraisers often used to help pay for sports, music and arts programs. In Kentucky, the changeover to water, lowfat milk and fruit juices caused a downturn in revenue from the machines, but in most cases it appears to have rebounded to earlier levels.

The forthcoming guidelines are unknown, but officials predict they will be similar to the changes in the school lunch program, which reduced sugar, salt and fat. Those changes were a compromise after a fight between health advocates and the food industry. Nancy Huehnergarth, executive director of the New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance, said she expects another fight. "I think the food and beverage industry is going to fight tooth and nail over these rules," she said.

In Kentucky, schools are not allowed to sell food that competes with the national school lunch and breakfast programs from the minute students arrive until 30 minutes after the last lunch period. Only water, 100 percent fruit juice, lowfat milk and any beverage that contains no more than 10 grams of sugar per serving are allowed to be sold in school vending machines, as per state mandate. There are no limits as to what foods or drinks that can be sold in fundraisers. (Read more)

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Don't let food take control of your Valentine's Day!

Trying to avoid, or at least over-indulging in, chocolate and candy on Valentine's Day? Steer clear of making the day about food, experts say.

"Focus on spending quality time with your friends and loved ones," suggests Cristina Harder, a licensed dietician at the Loyola Center for Fitness. "Trying a new activity together is a great way to share time with family and friends."(VirtualChocolate.com photo)

When it comes to eating, cook at home rather than go out to a restaurant, and get some exercise, reports research-reporting service Newswise. In one hour, a person can burn:
• 200 calories walking, ballroom dancing or bowling
• 500 calories playing racquetball
• 600 calories playing tennis

If the celebration just isn't complete with some indulgence, keep track of what it is. Five Hershey's Kisses just have 100 calories, as do 30 plain M&Ms and three Dove dark chocolate hearts. "They will satisfy a sweet tooth without killing a diet," Harder said."If you do over-indulge, just get back on track as soon as you can," Harder added. "A minor dietary mishap is only a bump in the road and should not derail your efforts." (Read more)

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Most beverage companies targeting kids, teens even more to sell sugary drinks, despite pledges; Pepsi an exception

A study analyzing the marketing practices for 600 products made by 14 companies found there is more advertising of sugary drinks to children, despite industry pledges to the contrary.

Child and teen exposure to TV ads for full-calorie soda doubled from 2008 to 2010. "This increase was driven by Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. Children were exposed to nearly twice as many TV ads for sugary drinks from these companies," the report by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity reads. "In contrast, children were exposed to 22 percent fewer ads for PepsiCo sugary drink products." PepsiCo makes Mountain Dew, so sugary and popular among youth in Eastern Kentucky that dentists have identified a tooth-decay syndrome of "Mountain Dew mouth."

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Kraft Foods produce two-thirds of the 900 products analyzed.

Coca-Cola accounted for three out of four brand appearances seen by children and teens. Nearly two-thirds of all full-calorie soda or energy drink ads on TV included sponsorship of an athlete, sports league or teams, or an event or cause.

In 2010, black children and Hispanic teens saw 80 to 90 percent more TV ads than white children. Marketing on Spanish-language TV is also growing. In 2010, Hispanic children and teens saw nearly twice the number of sugary drink and energy drink ads as in 2008.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says highly caffeinated energy drinks "have no place in the diet of children and adolescents." But in 2010, teenagers saw 18 percent more TV ads and heard nearly twice as many radio ads for energy drinks than adults did. (Read more)

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Combating childhood obesity reinvigorates Barren County Chamber of Commerce health committee

Combating childhood obesity has become the focus of the health-care committee of the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce, a panel that had otherwise lost its drive.

The committee has started using the "We Can" childhood obesity prevention program, which has already been adopted by more than 1,000 communities nationwide. Designed for children 8 to 13, the program "offers a curriculum that can be used to teach parents about healthy eating," reports Gina Kinslow of the Glasgow Daily Times. The committee has now partnered with various organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County, to get the word out and start educating parents.

"The 'We Can' education program provides parents and caregivers with tools, fun activities and more to help them encourage healthy eating, increased physical activity and reduced time sitting in from of the screen (TV or computer) in their entire family," said Kelly Lile Jenkins, director of the Boys and Girls Club. Nearly 1 in 6 American children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese, an estimated to 12 million youth. Another 14.8 percent are overweight, committee chair Beverly Mortimer noted. (Read more)

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September is national Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

September has been proclaimed national Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, with President Obama asking Americans to "take action by learning about and engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all our nation's children."

The U.S. childhood obesity rate has tripled since the 1970s, with 1 in 3 American children now either overweight or obese. As such, experts say one third of "children born in 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes during their lifetime, with many others at risk of obesity-related illnesses including heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and asthma," reports Julian Pecquet of congressional newspaper The Hill.

Childhood obesity is especially prevalent in Kentucky. The state has the the seventh highest obesity rate nationwide and the fourth highest rate of childhood obesity. Reporters can find by-county obesity rates by clicking here, but by-county childhood obesity rates are not available because counties are collecting data in different ways and at different ages, Sarah Walsh of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky said recently.

While the problem is a big one, there are initiatives underway to tackle it, including first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move," which helps communities make healthy food and exercise choices. It also includes a partnership with grocery stores to increase food choices in areas that do not have easy access to healthy foods. (Read more)

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Teens who drink sugary beverages add 300 calories a day to their diet, national survey finds

American teens who drink pop, energy drinks like Red Bull and other sugar-based beverages like Gatorade are consuming an average of 327 calories a day, the equivalent of two and a half cans of cola, according to an analysis conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data also show half of Americans drink sugary drinks on any given day, reports Nanci Hellmich of USA Today. Teens and young adults are drinking more of them than any other age group. About 25 percent of people drink at least 200 calories from them. Another 5 percent of the population age 2 and older consume nearly 600 calories a day from these drinks.

"Sugar-sweetened beverages are the No. 1 single source of calories in the American diet and account for about half of all added sugars that people consume," said Rachel Johnson, spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. "These are empty calories with no health benefits," said Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

The findings stem from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which studies the eating and drinking habits of Americans. The results are from more than 17,000 in-person interviews about dietary habits conducted from 2005 to 2008. Added calories can lead to obesity, which increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease. (Read more)

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Drug abuse, obesity are top two concerns for children's health, poll finds

Childhood obesity and drug abuse are the top two worries for children. Those were the results of a University of Michigan poll that asked people to rate 23 different health concerns for kids living in their communities. When it came to obesity and drug abuse, 33 percent of people rated them as being the biggest problems, research-reporting service Newswise reports.

In 2007, 37 percent of Kentucky children were either obese or overweight, Childhood Obesity Action Network numbers show. Drug abuse, particularly of prescription pills and methamphetamine, is likewise a notable problem in Kentucky.

Smoking and tobacco use came in third place, followed by teen pregnancy, bullying, Internet safety, stress, alcohol abuse, driving accidents and sexting. Internet safety and sexting are new to the top 10 list.

"The perception of drug abuse as a big problem matches recent national data showing increasing use of marijuana and other drugs by U.S. teens," said Matthew Davis, director of the National Poll on Children's Health.

"Meanwhile, although obesity remains at the top of the list of child health concerns for the fourth straight year, the level of public concern has declined over the last few years in our poll," Davis said. "This may be a warning to public health officials, because it indicates how the public is hearing national messages that previous increases in children's obesity rates have recently leveled off." (Read more)

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Following advice to eat healthy is too expensive for many

Though the Department of Agriculture has recommended that most of a dinner plate should be filled with foods rich in potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin D and calcium, a new study says adopting such a diet "would add hundreds more dollars to (Americans') grocery bill," reports Donna Gordon Blankinship of The Associated Press.

Adding more potassium to one's diet alone could add $380 per year to the average person's food costs, a paper published in professional journal Health Affairs found. Lead researcher Pablo Monsivais, an assistant professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Washington, objected to how healthy eating is marketed, with ads showing a plate of salmon with green, leafy veggies and rice pilaf. Many Americans cannot afford to eat that way, he said.

He added some government policies are helping to cut down on the cost of fruit and vegetables, but some policies create problems. A state policy in Washington makes it difficult to buy potatoes with food assistance coupons, despite the fact that eating potatoes is an inexpensive way to gain potassium.

The study was based on a random telephone survey of about 2,000 adults in a county in Washington. It was followed up by a printed questionnaire, to which 1,300 people responded. Hilary Seligman, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, found the results eye-opening. A lot of people assume the poor eat cheap food because it tastes good, but they would make better choices if they could afford to, she said. (Read more)

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Workshop Aug. 4-5 will help health groups with policy, programs

A two-day workshop intended to help health coalitions and organizations make progress at the policy level and implement evidence-based programs will begin Aug. 4.

On the first day, speaker Monte Roulier of Community Initiatives will speak about the art and science of building health and whole communities. On the second day, speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will demonstrate how to use The Community Guide, a free resource that offers guidance on what programs and policies are evidence-based for obesity, mental health, asthma, tobacco, substance abuse, violence and other health issues.

The workshop is part of the "Health for a Change: Ignite — Unite — Act" series, a program of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. It starts at 10 a.m. Aug. 4 and ends at 4 p.m. Aug. 5. at the Hurstbourne Place Office Building in Louisville. To register, click here.

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Overweight people tend to cluster with those who are likewise

The adage "birds of a feather flock together" seems to apply when it comes to the obesity, with a study concluding that overweight people tend to befriend others who are overweight. Obesity also tends to run in families, with obese parents raising obese children, research-reporting service Newswise reports.

The Arizona State University study didn't conclude why obese people tend to "cluster," but did provide "some important information about trends in obesity and the public health implications," said Dian and Tom Grisel, who wrote TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust.

"Obese families and friends usually have two things in common: food choices and activity levels or more accurately, lack of activity. Obese parents tend to raise obese children. Obese family and friends hang out and eat the same kinds of detrimental foods and participate in the same kinds of detrimental habits," the Griesels said.

That has serious implications for Kentucky, which has the sixth highest obesity rate in the country. More than 67 percent of adult Kentuckians are either obese or overweight and Kentucky was one of just six states whose obesity rate has increased two years in a row, the recently-release report "F as in Fat" found.

Though people may tend to find others who are like-minded when it comes to food, that doesn't mean they want to be overweight. "Study participants revealed that if given the choice, they would select some pretty serious diseases like alcoholism, depression or herpes instead. In fact, 25.4 percent preferred sever depression and 14.5 percent actually preferring total blindness over obesity," Newswise reports. (Read more)

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Signups due tomorrow for nutrition workshops June 29-July 1

Tomorrow is the deadline to register for two affiliated workshops that will focus on school nutrition and the overall health of Kentucky children. The Coordinated School Health Institute will focus on how schools and communities can work toward creating healthier schools. The Growing Healthy Kids in Kentucky workshop will address how to create healthy, hunger-free communities.

The CSHI event is June 29. The Growing Healthy Kids gathering is June 30 and July 1. Both events will be at the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel in Lexington. All school staff, community organizations, parents, dietitians, nurses, school food service staff, journalists and any stakeholder in the health of Kentucky children are welcome.

The CSHI workshop will cover topics focusing on fitness, staff wellness, school health services, mental health, school nutrition and Medicaid managed care. It is presented by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

The two-day Growing Healthy Kids event will address physical activity, farm-to-school success stories, local foods, the Let's Move initiative, Kentucky Proud, breastfeeding, worksite wellness and culinary arts programs. It is sponsored by the Kentucky Dietetic Association.

Click here to register online. The cost for both events if $205. For more information, click here.

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Cities' efforts to combat obesity get state, national attention

The efforts of two Kentucky cities to slim down made news this week. On Monday, The New York Times ran a story about Louisville's programs to encourage healthy eating and physical activity in an attempt to combat obesity. On Tuesday, the Lexington Herald-Leader ran a short story about the move to healthier snacks at two public pools. (Eric Crawford, sports columnist for The Courier-Journal, notes in a blog post, partly about his own weight issues, that Men’s Health magazine says Lexington ranks No. 25 in fatness nationally, while Louisville is No. 51.)

The Times story describes Louisville's eight-year effort to combat obesity by establishing bike lanes, creating pocket parks, and making sidewalks wider and safer. The effort involves multiple city agencies and grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results are hard to measure, sort of like a new dieter on a scale, reporter Stephanie Strom writes: "Successes on one front are countered by setbacks on another, and signs that the needle has moved overall are slight and mostly anecdotal."

Former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, who started the initiative, told Strom that the impetus to reduce the city's obesity rate was economic. “For businesses, a healthy work force is more productive and less costly, so it became a competitiveness issue,” he said. “Every city was offering tax incentives, every city was offering real estate deals but not every city had the weight problem we do.”

The Herald-Leader article focuses on menu changes at two park pools' snack stands. The new menus include options like fresh fruit, grilled chicken, and yogurt. The change is a joint effort of the city Parks Department and the Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition in Lexington to encourage healthier eating. As Coalition Chairman Anita Courtney told the Herald-Leader, "Concession stands are like pantries for kids in the summer. What they are stocked with is what they'll eat."

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Ten counties getting $5,400 each for farm-to-school programs

More than $50,000 in grants were awarded to Kentucky school districts this week to start or expand farm-to-school programs, an effort meant to support local farmers and get healthier meals in school cafeterias. Funding was given to Calloway, Carlisle, Daviess, Fayette, Madison, Marshall, Mercer, Owsley, Perry and Woodford counties. Each county got $5,400.

County health departments will form teams of school food-service directors, teachers, farmers and community advocates. "These teams will implement activities in local schools that include three program areas — cafeteria, classroom and community — as a way of educating children about what they eat; what they learn about food; and what they observe in their communities," said a press release from the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

Funding was awarded by the department's Obesity Prevention Program. For more information about farm-to-school programs in Kentucky, click here.

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Plate is replacing food pyramid as guide to a balanced diet

A segmented plate is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new icon for what to eat. It will replace the long-used food pyramid, which critics say is confusing. It makes clear a general consensus of nutrition experts about what amounts of what types of foods should make up a balanced diet.

MyPlate dedicates the most space to vegetables and grains, with fruits and protein each getting less than a fourth of the plate. Looking like a glass or cup on the side of the plate, a circle for dairy products gets a bit less. The graphic makes a clear point: "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables," Robert Post, an official at USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, told told Brian Vastag of The Washington Post.

The new graphic was unveiled Thursday at USDA headquarters. First Lady Michelle Obama, who is a strong advocate for improving child nutrition, attended and said, "Kids can learn to use this tool now and use it for the rest of their lives. It's an image that can be reinforced at breakfast, lunch and dinner." Indeed, children will be exposed to the image, as they were the food pyramid, through USDA's school-food programs. The new graphic was designed to combat obesity, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. (Read more)

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