August 12, 2011, The Jakarta Post
As many nutrition-deficiency illnesses starts during pregnancy and childhood, WHO officers said women were the key to preventing future malnourished generations.
Francesco Branca, the director of nutrition for health and development at the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO), said on Tuesday that many different nutritional challenges such as low birth weight, stunted growth and micro-nutrient deficiencies among children began during pregnancy and neonatal periods.
“We cannot solve nutrition problems in one night. If you want to prepare for the next generation, you have to act through young …

July 28, 2011, Chicago Tribune, Monica Eng
America undoubtedly has a big obesity problem.
With two-thirds of all U.S. adults classified as obese or overweight, public health officials warn that much of the population is at dangerously high risk of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic and costly illnesses.
But who should be responsible for slimming down the nation?
Several recently released obesity action plans — including one for Illinois — suggest the government can do it through public policy measures ranging from soda taxes, healthier school lunches and mandatory school gym to calorie …

July 18, 2011, Blog Scientific American |Christie Wilcox
Ten years ago, Certified Organic didn’t exist in the United States. Yet in 2010, a mere eight years after USDA’s regulations officially went into effect, organic foods and beverages made $26.7 billion. In the past year or two, certified organic sales have jumped to about $52 billion worldwide despite the fact that organic foods cost up to three times as much as those produced by conventional methods. More and more, people are shelling out their hard-earned cash for what they believe are the …

July 14, 2011, New York Times, William Neuman
Are Goldfish crackers junk food?
Under proposed new nutritional guidelines, the federal government says yes, and it does not want food like the crackers advertised to children because they contain too much saturated fat and salt and are made from white flour.
But food makers say the fish-shaped treats, made by Campbell Soup’s Pepperidge Farm division, belong on a list of healthful foods that are fine to market to children.
The seeming tempest in a fishbowl is typical of a growing tug of war as government …

June 23, 2011, By Daniela Hernandez, Los Angeles Times
Public Enemy No. 1 in America’s battle of the bulge isn’t cupcakes, soda or double bacon cheeseburgers. It’s the simple potato, according to Harvard University researchers.
Daily consumption of an extra serving of spuds — French fries, crispy chips, mashed with butter and garlic, or simply boiled or baked — was found to cause more weight gain than downing an additional 12-ounce can of a sugary drink or taking an extra helping of red or processed meats.
Altogether, after tracking the good and bad …

June 21, 2011, ABC News, by Dan Harris and Maggy Patrick
David Allison is a renowned scientist who runs an obesity research center at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He has a 108-page resume and was honored at the White House.
But even though study after study have shown soda to be a significant contributor to America’s staggering obesity crisis, he says there is too little “solid evidence.”
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control last week warned teenagers to cut down on their soda consumption, citing studies that show soda contributes to …

June 20, 2011, Financial, Nina Burjanadze
After having two children 41 year old Marekhi Papuashvili started to put on weight and subsequently lost her job position. Marekhi faced an obesity problem that dramatically changed her life for the worse.
“I spent most of my time at home and didn’t even want to go out. I simply lost the joy of living,” said Papuashvili.
In Georgia people with obesity problems face unemployment more often than others. Their rights are quite limited in terms of employment, career development and social status. Employers always avoid talking …

16 June, 2011, USA Today
Landon Lewis, 4, was living in a Minneapolis homeless shelter when he fell ill, first with a fever of 104 degrees, then with a red rash on his forehead.
It took two visits to a doctor to diagnose a disease clinic staff hadn’t seen in years: measles.
The rash spread into his mouth and throat, so swallowing was torture. He began vomiting and developed a cough that nearly choked him. He was rushed to the emergency room and hospitalized for five days.
“Seeing a child in that predicament really hurt,” …

June 14, 2011, New York Times
After 33 years of consideration, the Food and Drug Administration took steps on Tuesday to sort out the confusing world of sunscreens, with new rules that specify which lotions provide the best protection against the sun and ending claims that they are truly waterproof.
The F.D.A. said sunscreens must protect equally against two kinds of the sun’s radiation, UVB and UVA, to earn the coveted designation of offering “broad spectrum” protection. UVB rays cause burning; UVA rays cause wrinkling; and both cause cancer.
The rules, which go …

Harvard Nutrition Source
The US government has scrapped the much-maligned food pyramid icon and replaced it with a fruit- and vegetable-rich plate, seeking a simpler way to show Americans how to eat right. While it’s a major improvement, the new icon still falls short on giving people the nutrition advice they need to choose the healthiest diets.
The new logo, dubbed MyPlate, shows a circle divided into four brightly-colored wedges. Vegetables and fruits take up half the plate. Proteins and grains each get one quarter of the plate. Just off to the side …