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Powerless consumers choose larger size food portions to gain status

Consumers who feel powerless will choose larger size food portions in an attempt to gain status, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. But there is hope for convincing them that a Big Gulp won't translate to higher ranking.

22 Oct 2011

ADA supports IOM's report on front-of-package food labeling

The American Dietetic Association supports a report released today by the Institute of Medicine calling for a standardized system for front-of-package food labeling that can be easily understood by most consumers.

22 Oct 2011

E-voucher program providing food to malnourished Zimbabweans living with HIV, TB

An electronic voucher system, introduced by the World Food Programme (WFP) and implemented by the health ministry and non-governmental organizations, is helping Zimbabweans living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) and their families obtain food and fight malnutrition, PlusNews reports.

22 Oct 2011

U.N., U.S. Peace Corps sign agreement to work together to tackle food insecurity in 76 countries

"The United Nations and the United States Peace Corps signed an agreement [Thursday] to cooperate in combating worldwide hunger by increasing food security in the 76 countries where the more than 8,600 U.S. volunteers currently work," the U.N. News Centre reports.

22 Oct 2011

FAO, IDF and IFCN develop world map of animal feeding systems in dairy sector

The International Dairy Federation (IDF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN) have developed, in partnership and with support from the animal feed industry, a world map of animal feeding systems in the dairy sector. The first results will be presented at the Sustainable Feed Security Conference at the IDF World Dairy Summit, on 18 October 2011.

22 Oct 2011

Watson receives FDA approval for Androderm lower-dose formulations

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its Androderm (testosterone transdermal system) 2 mg and 4 mg formulation.

21 Oct 2011

Energy Star- equivalent nutrition rating system for foods and beverages

Federal agencies should develop a new nutrition rating system with symbols to display on the front of food and beverage packaging that graphically convey calorie counts by serving size and a "point" value showing whether the saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars in the products are below threshold levels.

21 Oct 2011

Studies find less vitamin D intake among menopausal women

A healthy diet is especially important during the menopause - a period in which the risk of suffering from health problems increases. Various studies analyse the diet of peri- and postmenopausal women in Spain alongside the troubles that come with this transition. The results show that all of those groups studied have a deficient intake of vitamin D.

21 Oct 2011

Health prevention strategies can help Canadians achieve optimal health

Health prevention strategies to help Canadians achieve their optimal health potential could add a decade or more of healthy years to the average lifespan and save the economy billions of dollars as a result of reduced cardiovascular disease, says noted cardiologist Dr. Clyde Yancy.

21 Oct 2011

No unique link between first-trimester ACE inhibitor use and birth defects

Women who take angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to treat high blood pressure in the first trimester of their pregnancies are at no greater risk of having babies with birth defects than are women who take other types of high blood pressure medication or who take no blood pressure drugs, according to a new study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

21 Oct 2011

Gastroenterologist cautions against over-prescription of acid-suppressing drugs in infants

Frequent spitting up, irritability, and unexplained crying in infants can be very distressing to parents. Pediatricians often prescribe acid-suppressing drugs for these symptoms in an effort to treat infants for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however, GERD is an uncommon cause of these symptoms in otherwise thriving infants.

21 Oct 2011

Byetta combination with insulin glargine gets FDA nod in type 2 diabetes

The US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has approved Byetta (exenatide) injection as add-on treatment for use with insulin glargine, together with exercise and diet for diabetes type 2 patients who are not responding well enough to glargine alone. Byetta's add-on therapy is for those on glargine with metformin and/or a TZD (thiazolidinedione) or without.

20 Oct 2011

Poor neighborhoods bad for women’s health: Study

“This study proves that concentrated poverty is not only bad policy, it's bad for your health,” Shaun Donovan, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “It's not enough to simply move families into different neighborhoods,” Donovan said. Instead, new ways must be found to help families “break the cycle of poverty that can quite literally make them sick.”

20 Oct 2011

Americans on a sodium high: CDC report

A new study by federal government researchers shows that most Americans consume too much sodium, and new strategies and stronger efforts are needed to reduce the amount of dietary salt. Experts add that high levels of sodium consumption are associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

20 Oct 2011

Australian researchers make a quantum leap in understanding key cell structures

Researchers in Australia and the UK have made a world first discovery that will provide the most accurate understanding to date of the structure and function of the most important energy converting protein, critical to the function of all organs and a cause of disease when malfunctioning.

20 Oct 2011

A more accurate blood test to detect fetal Downs syndrome launched

Pregnant mothers in the U.S. who wish to know whether they're carrying a fetus with Down syndrome now have access to a commercial genetic blood test that has a 99 per cent accuracy rate.

20 Oct 2011

Embryonic stem cell therapy patents knocked back in Europe

The European Union's highest court ruled Tuesday that scientists cannot patent stem cell techniques that use human embryos for research, a decision some scientists said could threaten major medical advances if it prevents biotech companies from turning a profit.

20 Oct 2011

OncoSec submits Device Master File for OMS to FDA

OncoSec Medical Incorporated, which is developing its advanced-stage OMS ElectroOncology therapies for the treatment of solid tumor cancers, announced today the submission of its Device Master File (DMF) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its patented OncoSec Medical System (OMS) which consists of a generator and hand-held applicator.

20 Oct 2011

Alexion third quarter total revenues increase to $204.0 million

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011.

20 Oct 2011

CWRU to lead Cornea Preservation Time Study

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine will lead a national study determining if corneas transplanted up to two weeks after donor death work as well as corneas transplanted up to one week after donor death. The National Eye Institute has awarded a $12.3 million grant to support the work.

20 Oct 2011