Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Latest Diet & Nutrition News and Research

Delegates at 126th IPU Assembly in Uganda focus on child, maternal health

"Over 600 parliamentarians from more than 100 countries" met in Kampala, Uganda, this week for the 126th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, where participants discussed child and maternal health and nutrition, UNICEF reports in a news article.

7 Apr 2012

Nearly one-third of under 5 children in Vietnam are malnourished, survey shows

"Nearly a third of pre-school children in Vietnam suffer from malnutrition and stunted growth, while in urban areas rates of childhood obesity are rising," according to a report released Thursday by the country's National Institute of Nutrition, Agence France-Presse reports.

7 Apr 2012

Research roundup: Effects of health exchanges; Improving provider performance; Governors' 2013 budgets and Medicaid

Authors analyzed the cost and coverage implications of various scenarios of the health insurance exchanges that are called for in the health law. They predicted that about 1 million uninsured people in the state would get insurance through the exchanges and said that premiums in the small group and individual market would be lower than if the health law was not in effect.

7 Apr 2012

Poultry producers still use FDA-banned antibiotics

In a joint study, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Arizona State University found evidence suggesting that a class of antibiotics previously banned by the U.S. government for poultry production is still in use. Results of the study were published March 21 in Environmental Science & Technology.

6 Apr 2012

Obese men more likely to underestimate their weight than women

When University of Illinois researchers surveyed over 3,500 college applicants, more than a third couldn't report their weight accurately, and overweight and obese men were more likely to underestimate their weight than women.

6 Apr 2012

State roundup: Advocates in Va. back shifting disability care from state institutions; New Vt. law overhauls mental health system; Aetna mistakenly tells thousands in Calif. their doctors were dropped

A state agency that looks out for the rights of people with disabilities is advocating for a proposed settlement that would shift the care of Virginians with intellectual disabilities from state-run institutions.

6 Apr 2012

Poor mental health can lead to heart problems and death in dialysis patients

Dialysis patients whose mental health deteriorates over time have an increased risk of developing heart problems and dying prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

6 Apr 2012

Majority of female kidney failure patients on dialysis may experience sexual problems

The vast majority of female kidney failure patients on dialysis may experience sexual problems, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Additional studies are needed to understand how sexual dysfunction affects dialysis patients' quality of life and psychological wellbeing.

6 Apr 2012

SelectHealth announces 2012 Select 25 award recipients

SelectHealth is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Select 25 award. The nonprofit health insurance carrier will give $2,500 to each of the 25 winners to assist them in their efforts to improve health and wellness, or to serve populations with special needs.

6 Apr 2012

People consuming energy drinks while not exercising put themselves at risk

Researchers have found that more people are making themselves vulnerable to health problems by downing sports energy drinks that are meant to be used with intense exercise – while sitting around.

5 Apr 2012

Weight loss pill Qnexa wins panel vote and awaits approval

The drug was rejected in a 10-6 vote the first time it came before a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel, in 2010, due to safety concerns. However when the medication returned for another review in February, the advisory committee gave it near-unanimous approval (20-2). Because the FDA often follows the advisory panel's advice, Qnexa is likely to get FDA approval, probably by mid-April.

5 Apr 2012

Uterine cancer up by 43% in UK over last two decades

Figures show that the number of diagnoses remained static for many years, but has increased by 43% since the 1990s. As the number of womb cancer cases have increased over the last decade, so have the number of womb cancer deaths. However, survival has also improved during that period, with 77% of women who are diagnosed with womb cancer now surviving for five years or more.

5 Apr 2012

Jakarta Globe examines maternal mortality in Indonesia

The Jakarta Globe examines maternal mortality in Indonesia, writing, "Indonesia may be progressing slowly and steadily toward fulfilling its targets under the Millennium Development Goals, but the issue of maternal health continues to present many challenges."

5 Apr 2012

Low glycemic index food may help prevent high blood sugar

Eating foods at breakfast that have a low glycemic index may help prevent a spike in blood sugar throughout the morning and after the next meal of the day, researchers said at the Institute of Food Technologists' Wellness 12 meeting.

5 Apr 2012

Improving or maintaining physical fitness appears to help obese and overweight children

Improving or maintaining physical fitness appears to help obese and overweight children reach a healthy weight, reports a new study from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Researchers analyzed four years of data from in-school fitness tests and body mass index (BMI) measurements of students in grades 1-7 in the city of Cambridge, Mass.

5 Apr 2012

Soy isoflavones more effective in alleviating hot flashes

Archer Daniels Midland Company is pleased to share the results of a new meta-analysis on the effects of soy isoflavones in the alleviation of menopausal hot flashes.

5 Apr 2012

Ventria completes VEN100 phase 2 trial on antibiotic-associated diarrhea

Ventria Bioscience has announced the successful completion of a phase 2 clinical trial of its lead therapeutic candidate, VEN100. The study was conducted by a team of investigators from the Department of Epidemiology, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Division of Geriatric Medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

5 Apr 2012

Brain games, exercise and diet help prevent cognitive slide

Exercising, eating a healthy diet and playing brain games may help you keep your wits about you well into your 80s and even 90s, advises a new book by researchers at George Mason University.

5 Apr 2012

Elite athletes ambivalent on sports advertising

“Building on the resistance of elite athletes to promoting alcohol and junk food could transform the use of sport in sponsorship and advertising,” said Dr Anne Grunseit from the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney.

4 Apr 2012

Getting pregnant while on a diet may lead to an obese baby: Study

Researchers found in a study on sheep that giving ewes less food at the time of conception caused DNA changes in the brains of their young. The University of Manchester scientists suspect the findings may hold true for humans as well and could explain why twins are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

4 Apr 2012