Health Highlights: Aug. 4, 2008
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Kids' Menus Packed With Calories: Report
Most children's meals at major U.S. restaurant chains are loaded with calories, says a report released Monday by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit public health group.
The examination of the nutritional quality of kids' meals at 13 major restaurant chains found that 93 percent of 1,474 possible choices exceed 430 calories, the Associated Press reported. That amount is one-third of the daily calorie intake for children ages 4 to 8 recommended by the U.S. National Institute of Medicine.
In addition, the report found that 45 percent of kids' meals exceed recommendations for heart-damaging saturated fats and trans fat, and 86 percent of children's meals are high in sodium.
The group said there are some healthy options on restaurant menus, but "parents have to navigate a minefield of calories, fat and salt to find them," the AP reported.
"Parents want to feed their children healthy meals, but America's chain restaurants are setting parents up to fail," CSPI nutrition director Margo G. Wootan said in a news release.
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Workers Lose Weight, Boost Productivity in Office Designed for Activity
Workers in an office re-engineered to boost physical activity lost weight and increased their productivity, according to a six-month Mayo Clinic study.
The restructuring of the office at a financial staffing firm in Minneapolis included: removing chairs and traditional desk seating; adding desks attached to treadmills; replacing traditional phones with mobile sets; introducing walking tracks; and providing high-tech activity monitors. Staffers were encouraged to conduct meetings while walking and counseled about nutrition, United Press International reported.
The 18 volunteers lost a total of 156 pounds, 143 of that in body fat. Individual weight loss averaged 8.8 pounds. Triglyceride levels decreased by an average of 37 percent, the study found.
While the workers shed pounds, the company's bottom line added weight. During the first three months of the study, revenues increased nearly 10 percent. At the study's midpoint, the company recorded its highest-ever monthly revenue, the news service reported.
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Virginia Boy Scout Camp Closed Due to E. Coli Outbreak
The Goshen Scout Reservation in Virginia was closed Sunday due to an E. coli outbreak and will remain closed until further notice, the Boy Scouts of America said Sunday, The Roanoke Times reported. The Virginia Department of Health has been notified about the situation.
The decision to close the camp came after three more boys showed symptoms of E. coli infection. On Friday, it was confirmed that at least 14 boys and one adult were infected with E. coli while attending the camp. Nine of the boys were hospitalized.
As of Sunday, there was no confirmation about the source of the outbreak at the 4,000-acre-plus campground in the mountains. Last week, there were more than 1,310 Scouts, adult learners and staff members residing at the camp, The Times reported.
A news conference about the decision to close the camp was scheduled for Monday. E. coli is a group of bacteria that can cause a variety of serious symptoms, including gastrointestinal problems.
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One Reason U.S. Obesity Keeps Rising: We're Eating More Food
Here's a big reason why many Americans have packed on more pounds in recent years -- more people are eating more food.
The New York Times reported that the amount of food an American ate in 2006 was almost 2 pounds more than was ingested in 1970.
Citing U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, the newspaper said that in 1970 the average amount of food each American ate weekly was 16.4 pounds. By 2006, that amount had increased to 18.2 pounds a week.
What constituted the increase? According to the Times, it was unfortunately those substances that can make people fatter -- oils, shortening, cheeses and about an additional quarter pound of meat each week.
And while not making a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the Times cited obesity rate increases among U.S. residents from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: In 1980, 15 percent of adults between the ages 20 and 74 were classified as obese. By 2007, that figure was 25.6 percent.
Posted: August 2008
