| Top : 2007 : 2007_01_10 |
Kids at home could mean higherfat dietTue, 09 Jan 2007 23:59:38 GMTBy AMY LORENTZEN, Association Press Writer DES MOINES, Iowa - Adults living with children tend to eat more fat than grown-ups in kid-free homes, consuming as much additional saturated fat each week as found in an individual-size pizza, a new study suggests. It may not exactly be the kids' fault, but household cupboards are more likely to be stocked with high-fat convenience foods like cookies, cheese, peanuts and processed meats when children are around, the researchers said. "These dietary choices may be due to time pressures, advertising aimed at children that also includes adults, or adults' perception that children will eat only hot dogs or macaroni and cheese," said study author Dr. Helena Laroche, who works in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. "Once these foods are in the house, even if bought for the children, adults appear more likely to eat them," she said. Laroche cautioned that the report "doesn't prove that the presence of children causes adults to eat more fat," but shows that people living with children may have different eating habits for many reasons. Laroche and University of Michigan researchers examined data from the federal government's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The researchers scoured detailed food questionnaires given to 6,600 adults living with and without children under age 17. The survey reviewed what the adults ate over a 24-hour period. Adults living with children ate almost 5 more grams of fat each day, for a total of more than 91 grams, compared to 86.5 grams for adults not living with children, according to the study. That included nearly 2 grams more of saturated fat daily, the kind linked to heart disease, or about 12 grams of saturated fat per week — an amount equal to a 6-inch, personal size pepperoni pizza. An adult eating a 2,000-calorie diet should consume less than 65 grams of total fat a day, including less than 20 grams of saturated fat, according to the U.S. http://www.jabfm.org/ University of Iowa: http://www.uiowa.edu/ University of Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/ Dr. Susan Mitchell: http://www.susanmitchell.org/ Canadas first set of sextuplets at riskWed, 10 Jan 2007 00:38:21 GMTVANCOUVER, British Columbia - A woman has given birth to what is believed to be Canada's first set of sextuplets, and the infants were in listed in fair condition, hospital officials said. The newborns — each weighing only 1 pound, 6 ounces to 1 pound, 12 ounces and not much bigger than an outstretched hand — were delivered over the weekend at B.C. Women's Hospital and Health Center. Citing privacy concerns, hospital officials declined to identify the family or give other details about the births, saying only that they were delivered almost three months premature. "The babies are in fair condition, which means their vital signs are stable and within normal limits," said Dr. Liz Whynot, the hospital's president. She said the parents, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, are "feeling overwhelmed" and "are focusing all their energy on their new family." The first infant was born about 8:30 p.m. Saturday and the others were born early Sunday, she said. Hospital officials, contacted by The Associated Press on Tuesday, declined to provide the sex of the infants or other details. The babies are considered on the borderline of viability and have a roughly 80 percent chance of surviving to leave the hospital, said Dr. Brian Lupton, head of neonatal intensive care at the hospital. Such an early delivery means all the baby's organs are immature and their underdeveloped immune systems make them more vulnerable to infection.They also face potential neurological and development deficiencies, vision and hearing problems. "They're certainly in the best possible hands, that's the comfort. But they certainly have a long road ahead of them," said Dr. Timothy Rowe, an obstetrician who heads the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of British Columbia. Rowe said naturally conceived sextuplets occur only once in several billion births. Hospital officials declined to say whether the parents used fertility drugs. The Dionne quintuplets were Canada's most famous multiple birth. The five identical sisters, born in a small Ontario town in 1934, were hailed as a medical miracle and, at the time, were the only known quintuplets to survive more than a few days. Their case, however, quickly turned tragic as the Ontario provincial government, which deemed their parents unfit, put them in a specially built hospital where they became a moneymaking tourist attraction during the Depression. The three surviving quints eventually sued the provincial government and received a $2.8 million settlement. Bangor makes it illegal to smoke in carsWed, 10 Jan 2007 00:49:59 GMTBANGOR, Maine - The Bangor City Council approved a measure Monday that prohibits people from smoking in vehicles when children are present. When the law goes into effect next week, Bangor will become the first municipality in Maine to have such a law. Similar statewide measures have been adopted in Arkansas and Louisiana and are under consideration in several other states. People who smoke with children present in the confined space of a car or truck might as well be deliberately trying to kill those children, said City Councilor Patricia Blanchette, who is a smoker. "Let's step up to the plate and lead; our children are worth the fight," she said. The ordinance, which was approved by a 6-3 vote, applies to any motor vehicles on any public roads within the city. Violators face fines of up to $50. An amendment that was added Monday to the original proposal makes the violation a primary offense, rather than a secondary offense. That means police can pull over vehicles if they see somebody smoking with anybody under 18 in the vehicle; if it were a secondary offense, police would have to stop the vehicle for some other reason, such as speeding. Several residents, doctors and representatives from the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce and the Fusion Bangor development group spoke in favor of the ordinance. Pediatrician Robert Holmberg said the evidence is "incontrovertible" that exposure to cigarette smoke causes medical disorders in children, including asthma, bronchitis, ear infections and heart disease. "Children are the most in need of the protection by public policy, because they can't protect themselves," he said. But the ordinance also had its critics. Councilor Susan Hawes, who voted against the law, said the police department should devote its energy to more important issues. There's already too much government intervention in people's lives, she said. Aaron Prill of Bangor told the council that the ordinance was a "feel-good option" that was not intended to protect children but rather to "moralize" against smokers. Most smokers have enough common sense not to smoke around children, he said. ___ Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangornews.com Family helps woman with skin diseaseWed, 10 Jan 2007 00:51:50 GMTSAGINAW, Mich. - Christina Herron's family and friends are working to give Herron the time of her life, before a skin disease prematurely ends it. Herron has scleroderma, a disease that causes thickening, hardening or tightening of the skin, blood vessels and internal organs. Doctors in September told the 21-year-old Carrollton resident that she would live another two months. More than three months later, Herron is focusing on the future she has left. Doctors at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor said in a second opinion that she could live for a couple more months, two years or seven years. "On the bad days, I lie in bed all day," Herron told The Saginaw News for a story published Monday. "On the good days, I feel like I can run a marathon." Herron's mother, Karen Hinds, and her stepfather, Glenn Hinds, are trying to fulfill Herron's wishes — she now has a Yorkshire terrier named Bella, and the family has filed paperwork for Glenn Hinds to become Herron's adoptive father. "The doctors said live life to the fullest, and that's what we are trying to do for her," Karen Hinds said. Herron's third wish is to take a family vacation on a Disney cruise sometime in March or April. Employees in the education department at St. Mary's of Michigan hospital in Saginaw want to make it happen. They don't know how much the trip will cost, but they want to raise enough money to send at least Herron and Karen Hinds. ___ Information from: The Saginaw News, http://www.mlive.com |
