Dietitians urge kids to read food labels
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:28:46 GMTBy KELLI KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer
MIAMI - When 10-year-old Marie Grandguillotte goes grocery shopping with her mother, she reads the food labels. She looks for calories and ingredients and knows to avoid fat and cholesterol. Reading the food labels was "a little bit confusing, but after a while I got used to it," said the fifth-grader from suburban Doral.
Nutrition experts and the Food and Drug Administration think there should be more kids like Marie. They advocate teaching children to read food labels themselves instead of relying on mom and dad.
"Since I find parents are not doing a bang-up job , I think it's important to empower the children with their own information," said Miami registered dietitian Ronni Litz Julien.
The FDA partnered with the Cartoon Network earlier this year to launch a public education campaign encouraging children ages 9 to 13 — or tweens — to read the nutrition facts on food labels. An interactive Web page on the Cartoon Network's Web site teaches kids to avoid foods high in fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar and consume more foods with potassium, fiber, iron and calcium. It offers information on serving sizes and calories .
"We learned that tweens are able to cognitively understand food labels, they're making food choices on their own, they want independence, yet they're still influenced by their parents," said Carrie Ainsworth, education outreach specialist for the FDA.
The agency will launch a campaign for parents next year reinforcing the same message, she said.
Another shopper, Sofia Rachi, 10, said she always reads foods labels and likes to look at the colored boxes, but when pressed, the youngster admitted she didn't "really know what to look for."
Though the labels can be tricky even for adults, some nutrition experts say it is reasonable for children to grasp the concept by focusing on a few components.
Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian in New York and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, taught her 9-year-old son to read the nutrition labels on cereal boxes.
"I don't think it's unrealistic," said Zied. "He knows when you're looking at cereal label that we're looking for high fiber, low sugar."
Lillian Tabacinic sent her son Eli to a nutritionist to learn about portion control and food labels when he put on weight after breaking a leg. But it took two years before he really grasped it, the Bal Harbour resident said.
"It takes awhile until they can mature to a point where they can understand it's not healthy," Tabacinic said.
Now 11, Eli is eating healthier, not using his allowance for junk food and exercising three times a week.
__
On the Net:
FDA: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov.
Food label campaign: http://www.spottheblock.com
Dietitians urge kids to read food labels
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:28:46 GMTBy KELLI KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer
MIAMI - When 10-year-old Marie Grandguillotte goes grocery shopping with her mother, she reads the food labels. She looks for calories and ingredients and knows to avoid fat and cholesterol. Reading the food labels was "a little bit confusing, but after a while I got used to it," said the fifth-grader from suburban Doral.
Nutrition experts and the Food and Drug Administration think there should be more kids like Marie. They advocate teaching children to read food labels themselves instead of relying on mom and dad.
"Since I find parents are not doing a bang-up job , I think it's important to empower the children with their own information," said Miami registered dietitian Ronni Litz Julien.
The FDA partnered with the Cartoon Network earlier this year to launch a public education campaign encouraging children ages 9 to 13 — or tweens — to read the nutrition facts on food labels. An interactive Web page on the Cartoon Network's Web site teaches kids to avoid foods high in fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar and consume more foods with potassium, fiber, iron and calcium. It offers information on serving sizes and calories .
"We learned that tweens are able to cognitively understand food labels, they're making food choices on their own, they want independence, yet they're still influenced by their parents," said Carrie Ainsworth, education outreach specialist for the FDA.
The agency will launch a campaign for parents next year reinforcing the same message, she said.
Another shopper, Sofia Rachi, 10, said she always reads foods labels and likes to look at the colored boxes, but when pressed, the youngster admitted she didn't "really know what to look for."
Though the labels can be tricky even for adults, some nutrition experts say it is reasonable for children to grasp the concept by focusing on a few components.
Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian in New York and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, taught her 9-year-old son to read the nutrition labels on cereal boxes.
"I don't think it's unrealistic," said Zied. "He knows when you're looking at cereal label that we're looking for high fiber, low sugar."
Lillian Tabacinic sent her son Eli to a nutritionist to learn about portion control and food labels when he put on weight after breaking a leg. But it took two years before he really grasped it, the Bal Harbour resident said.
"It takes awhile until they can mature to a point where they can understand it's not healthy," Tabacinic said.
Now 11, Eli is eating healthier, not using his allowance for junk food and exercising three times a week.
__
On the Net:
FDA: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov.
Food label campaign: http://www.spottheblock.com
Experts Elderly most atrisk in suicide
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:23:21 GMTBy SARAH SKIDMORE, Associated Press Writer
Not long after 72-year-old Anne Beale Golson had retired on disability from her job as a librarian, she put a stack of paid bills out for the mail, hung up a freshly pressed outfit and taped a note to the front of the house.
"Don't come in by yourself. Get somebody to come with you. Sorry, Love Beale."
Her niece arrived at the house they shared in Baton Rouge, La., to find police already there. Golson had killed herself with a gunshot to the head.
"Every single day it makes me feel like I wish I could have done something," Jane Golsan Ray said, recalling her aunt's death eight years ago. "I wish I could turn back the clock and prevent it. It doesn't get any better, it hurts every day."
The elderly are the highest risk population in the country for suicide. But few suicide-prevention programs target them — a result, advocates say, of scarce funding and lack of concern for older Americans. And mental heath experts say the number of elderly suicides is likely to climb as baby boomers enter their twilight years.
The overall U.S. suicide rate is 11 per 100,000 people. But for those 65 and older, that figure rises to 14 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which based its findings on 2004 data, the most recent available.
Older adults are less likely to seek help and are more lethal in their suicide attempts. So experts say special care is needed to reach out.
Dale Smith, 67, said he might not be alive if not for a suicide-prevention program in Spokane, Wash.
Two years ago, he attended a meeting at his retirement complex where everyone filled out a screening form for depression, a key risk factor for suicide. Based on his answers, a caseworker and psychiatrist later visited Smith at his home, where they discussed what turned out to be a lifetime of depression. They developed a plan of medication and therapy that Smith says probably saved his life.
"I'm not unique. I think there's a lot of individuals out there who do suffer from depression and they have no clue," he said. "They just know they're not happy. They are tired, they want to pull the covers over their heads and not look at the world, and they don't know what it is."
But many older Americans have fewer options for treatment than younger people.
"It's a not-so-subtle social-political assignment of resources," said Donna Cohen, a professor in the Department of Aging and Mental Health at the University of South Florida.
Ten states passed laws last year intended to curb suicide among children and young adults. But only two — New Jersey and New Mexico — passed laws addressing suicide among the elderly, according to Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, a national advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
Depression is underdetected at all ages, mental health groups say. But much more funding is available for treating younger people, including $82 million in federal money approved in 2004.
The situation prompted Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who lost his father to suicide, to propose funding more suicide-prevention programs for the elderly and changing a Medicare coverage rule that forces seniors to pay more for outpatient mental health services than other medical care.
Some advocates and mental health workers say they also have to battle a prevailing notion that depression is a normal part of aging.
"It is not natural and should be treated at all times," said Dr. Paula Clayton, a psychiatrist and medical director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Janice Hodge of Sandy, Ore., said she didn't realize until after her 91-year old father, Anthony Liberto, died that he had been depressed.
He was struggling to care for his 85-year-old wife, who suffered from Parkinson's disease. He did not work and he could no longer play golf, his favorite pastime. Friends and family still visited, but they say he spent much of his time lying on the couch and growing frustrated with suggestions that he place his wife of 62 years in a nursing home.
Eventually, he shot his wife and killed himself, leaving a note that read: "Sorry we had to leave this way, forgive me. Love, your Dad."
Experts say there need to be services tailored to the elderly because they handle depression differently than younger patients.
In Spokane, the program that helped Smith, called Elder Services, trains people who come in contact with the elderly — from bank tellers to postal carriers — to notice signs of trouble, such as mail piling up or bills going unpaid. Those people can then notify social workers.
In San Francisco, Patrick Arbore founded the Friendship Line in San Francisco in 1973 after seeing the lack of understanding some suicide hot line workers displayed for older people.
The line, which lets people call just to talk or get support, now handles more than 3,000 calls a month. About one-quarter of the callers have suicidal thoughts, a staffer said. But most just want a compassionate listener.
"It's about reminding people that they are still a part of their community," Arbore said. "Those connections bind us to life."
___
Associated Press Writer Sarah Skidmore reported from Portland, Ore.
___
On the Web:
National Institute for Mental Health on elderly suicide: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/elderlydepsuicide
Centers for Disease Control suicide information:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/suicide/
Experts Elderly most atrisk in suicide
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:23:21 GMTBy SARAH SKIDMORE, Associated Press Writer
Not long after 72-year-old Anne Beale Golson had retired on disability from her job as a librarian, she put a stack of paid bills out for the mail, hung up a freshly pressed outfit and taped a note to the front of the house.
"Don't come in by yourself. Get somebody to come with you. Sorry, Love Beale."
Her niece arrived at the house they shared in Baton Rouge, La., to find police already there. Golson had killed herself with a gunshot to the head.
"Every single day it makes me feel like I wish I could have done something," Jane Golsan Ray said, recalling her aunt's death eight years ago. "I wish I could turn back the clock and prevent it. It doesn't get any better, it hurts every day."
The elderly are the highest risk population in the country for suicide. But few suicide-prevention programs target them — a result, advocates say, of scarce funding and lack of concern for older Americans. And mental heath experts say the number of elderly suicides is likely to climb as baby boomers enter their twilight years.
The overall U.S. suicide rate is 11 per 100,000 people. But for those 65 and older, that figure rises to 14 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which based its findings on 2004 data, the most recent available.
Older adults are less likely to seek help and are more lethal in their suicide attempts. So experts say special care is needed to reach out.
Dale Smith, 67, said he might not be alive if not for a suicide-prevention program in Spokane, Wash.
Two years ago, he attended a meeting at his retirement complex where everyone filled out a screening form for depression, a key risk factor for suicide. Based on his answers, a caseworker and psychiatrist later visited Smith at his home, where they discussed what turned out to be a lifetime of depression. They developed a plan of medication and therapy that Smith says probably saved his life.
"I'm not unique. I think there's a lot of individuals out there who do suffer from depression and they have no clue," he said. "They just know they're not happy. They are tired, they want to pull the covers over their heads and not look at the world, and they don't know what it is."
But many older Americans have fewer options for treatment than younger people.
"It's a not-so-subtle social-political assignment of resources," said Donna Cohen, a professor in the Department of Aging and Mental Health at the University of South Florida.
Ten states passed laws last year intended to curb suicide among children and young adults. But only two — New Jersey and New Mexico — passed laws addressing suicide among the elderly, according to Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, a national advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
Depression is underdetected at all ages, mental health groups say. But much more funding is available for treating younger people, including $82 million in federal money approved in 2004.
The situation prompted Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who lost his father to suicide, to propose funding more suicide-prevention programs for the elderly and changing a Medicare coverage rule that forces seniors to pay more for outpatient mental health services than other medical care.
Some advocates and mental health workers say they also have to battle a prevailing notion that depression is a normal part of aging.
"It is not natural and should be treated at all times," said Dr. Paula Clayton, a psychiatrist and medical director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Janice Hodge of Sandy, Ore., said she didn't realize until after her 91-year old father, Anthony Liberto, died that he had been depressed.
He was struggling to care for his 85-year-old wife, who suffered from Parkinson's disease. He did not work and he could no longer play golf, his favorite pastime. Friends and family still visited, but they say he spent much of his time lying on the couch and growing frustrated with suggestions that he place his wife of 62 years in a nursing home.
Eventually, he shot his wife and killed himself, leaving a note that read: "Sorry we had to leave this way, forgive me. Love, your Dad."
Experts say there need to be services tailored to the elderly because they handle depression differently than younger patients.
In Spokane, the program that helped Smith, called Elder Services, trains people who come in contact with the elderly — from bank tellers to postal carriers — to notice signs of trouble, such as mail piling up or bills going unpaid. Those people can then notify social workers.
In San Francisco, Patrick Arbore founded the Friendship Line in San Francisco in 1973 after seeing the lack of understanding some suicide hot line workers displayed for older people.
The line, which lets people call just to talk or get support, now handles more than 3,000 calls a month. About one-quarter of the callers have suicidal thoughts, a staffer said. But most just want a compassionate listener.
"It's about reminding people that they are still a part of their community," Arbore said. "Those connections bind us to life."
___
Associated Press Writer Sarah Skidmore reported from Portland, Ore.
___
On the Web:
National Institute for Mental Health on elderly suicide: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/elderlydepsuicide
Centers for Disease Control suicide information:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/suicide/
Survey Some teens find meth easy to get
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:55:37 GMTBy SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Nearly a quarter of teens say it would be "very easy" or "somewhat easy" to gain access to methamphetamine, a survey released Tuesday shows.
One in three teens also believes there is only a "slight risk" or "no risk" in trying meth once or twice, according to the study by The Meth Project, a nonprofit anti-drug group that produces gritty ads to show the perils of meth abuse.
And about one in four teens said there are benefits to using meth. Twenty-four percent of teens agreed with the statement that meth "makes you feel euphoric or very happy," while 22 percent said meth "helps you lose weight" and 22 percent said it "helps you deal with boredom."
Lawmakers and government officials said the survey highlights the need for an aggressive public education campaign to inform kids about the dangers of the highly addictive stimulant.
"For kids, meth is death," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "And if we really want to do something about improving the survival of our adolescents and help them become healthy adults, we've got to tackle this problem head on."
Gerberding praised The Meth Project's two-year anti-meth ad campaign in Montana, which is credited for helping reduce meth use in the state by 45 percent since 2005. The ads use graphic images to portray the drug's ravages on young people.
By contrast, meth use among teens nationally remained unchanged over the same period, according to the annual drug use survey released last month by the Health and Human Services Department.
Getting to kids at an early stage is crucial, Gerberding said. Of the teens who have tried meth, 77 percent reported they used the drug when they were 15 or younger, the survey showed.
On the positive side, a majority of teens — 76 percent — voiced "strong" disapproval with trying meth once or twice, about the same level as those who disapproved of trying cocaine or heroin.
"What this survey shows us is that we have more work to do," said White House drug czar John Walters said. "These attitudes are troubling. We still have too many kids who say they can get their hands on this poison."
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy began a meth prevention ad campaign earlier this month. The print and broadcast ads — including four produced by The Meth Project — will appear in eight states where meth use remains high: Alaska, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Oregon and Washington.
Walters said prevention efforts appear to be having an impact. He pointed to a report last December from the National Institute on Drug Abuse that showed meth use among teens declined 50 percent from 2001 to 2005.
The survey for The Meth Project was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and questioned 2,602 junior and senior high school students ages 12-17 at 43 schools across the country.
___
On the Net:
The Meth Project: http://www.methproject.com
Survey Some teens find meth easy to get
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:55:37 GMTBy SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Nearly a quarter of teens say it would be "very easy" or "somewhat easy" to gain access to methamphetamine, a survey released Tuesday shows.
One in three teens also believes there is only a "slight risk" or "no risk" in trying meth once or twice, according to the study by The Meth Project, a nonprofit anti-drug group that produces gritty ads to show the perils of meth abuse.
And about one in four teens said there are benefits to using meth. Twenty-four percent of teens agreed with the statement that meth "makes you feel euphoric or very happy," while 22 percent said meth "helps you lose weight" and 22 percent said it "helps you deal with boredom."
Lawmakers and government officials said the survey highlights the need for an aggressive public education campaign to inform kids about the dangers of the highly addictive stimulant.
"For kids, meth is death," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "And if we really want to do something about improving the survival of our adolescents and help them become healthy adults, we've got to tackle this problem head on."
Gerberding praised The Meth Project's two-year anti-meth ad campaign in Montana, which is credited for helping reduce meth use in the state by 45 percent since 2005. The ads use graphic images to portray the drug's ravages on young people.
By contrast, meth use among teens nationally remained unchanged over the same period, according to the annual drug use survey released last month by the Health and Human Services Department.
Getting to kids at an early stage is crucial, Gerberding said. Of the teens who have tried meth, 77 percent reported they used the drug when they were 15 or younger, the survey showed.
On the positive side, a majority of teens — 76 percent — voiced "strong" disapproval with trying meth once or twice, about the same level as those who disapproved of trying cocaine or heroin.
"What this survey shows us is that we have more work to do," said White House drug czar John Walters said. "These attitudes are troubling. We still have too many kids who say they can get their hands on this poison."
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy began a meth prevention ad campaign earlier this month. The print and broadcast ads — including four produced by The Meth Project — will appear in eight states where meth use remains high: Alaska, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Oregon and Washington.
Walters said prevention efforts appear to be having an impact. He pointed to a report last December from the National Institute on Drug Abuse that showed meth use among teens declined 50 percent from 2001 to 2005.
The survey for The Meth Project was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and questioned 2,602 junior and senior high school students ages 12-17 at 43 schools across the country.
___
On the Net:
The Meth Project: http://www.methproject.com
Researchers develop intelligence model
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:18:40 GMTBy SUE MAJOR HOLMES, Associated Press Writer
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Rex Jung says researchers need to understand how the brain is put together to better understand how it unravels.
To that end, Jung — a research scientist at the Mind Research Network — and psychology professor Richard Haier of the University of California Irvine's School of Medicine scoured the neuroscience literature and analyzed studies of reasoning and measures of intelligence to put together a theoretical model aimed at letting researchers study intelligence in a more systematic way.
There's a lot of interest in measuring intelligence and how people solve tasks that require reasoning, said Jung.
"The terms intelligence and IQ are just so infused in our culture. ... We like to know fundamentally how our brains differ from others," he said.
Intelligence — the capacity of the brain to function well in a given setting — can be affected by such diseases as schizophrenia or Alzheimer's.
"Understanding how the brain produces intelligent behavior may allow us to address the cognitive decline associated with some of these devastating diseases," Jung said.
Jung and Haier, looking at the network of gray and white matter that comprises human intelligence, concluded there is significant consistency in brain structure and function related to intelligence.
From their review, they created the Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory, or P-FIT, which Jung said is the first testable, physical model of where intelligence resides in the human brain and what neural factors might affect cognitive performance.
Jung became interested in the topic prior to attending graduate school, when he started volunteering to work with Special Olympics, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities become physically fit, productive members of society through sports training and competition.
"I became attached to this group of individuals as a coach and as a friend, and I wanted to do something for that group of individuals," he said.
"It would be really nice if we could figure out ways to mitigate the damage done by neurological brain disorders that result in mental retardation. ... It would be great if we could help adults and youngsters who require a lot of help just to get through the day," Jung said.
A lot of researchers are looking for ways to cure Alzheimer's, schizophrenia or mental retardation, but not many are looking at the other side of the coin — research into what brains do well and how that can help research into what brains don't do well, Jung said.
With the P-FIT, researchers will now be able to test their studies against a model.
"Instead of having a piecemeal approach at looking at intelligence ... we now have a unified model to move forward with," said Jung, who expects the model to become more refined over time.
The neuroimaging studies they looked at analyzed both brain structure and function, including white matter and gray matter correlates of intelligence.
To explain those, Jung likens gray matter and white matter to the Internet in which computers connect to other computers so they can function at a higher rate than they could function alone. Gray matter can be compared to a computer's central processing unit, while white matter functions like the cables that allow the processing centers to communicate with each other.
Some of the 19 peer reviews published with the article faulted the limitations of the theoretical model. But Jung and Haier note that overall, those commentaries recognize P-FIT as "a reasonable empirical framework to test hypotheses about the relationship of brain structure and function with intelligence and reasoning."
"Some researchers out there ... may be able to tap into what we've done here and really improve people's lives in a dramatic fashion. That would be fantastic," Jung said.
Researchers develop intelligence model
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:18:40 GMTBy SUE MAJOR HOLMES, Associated Press Writer
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Rex Jung says researchers need to understand how the brain is put together to better understand how it unravels.
To that end, Jung — a research scientist at the Mind Research Network — and psychology professor Richard Haier of the University of California Irvine's School of Medicine scoured the neuroscience literature and analyzed studies of reasoning and measures of intelligence to put together a theoretical model aimed at letting researchers study intelligence in a more systematic way.
There's a lot of interest in measuring intelligence and how people solve tasks that require reasoning, said Jung.
"The terms intelligence and IQ are just so infused in our culture. ... We like to know fundamentally how our brains differ from others," he said.
Intelligence — the capacity of the brain to function well in a given setting — can be affected by such diseases as schizophrenia or Alzheimer's.
"Understanding how the brain produces intelligent behavior may allow us to address the cognitive decline associated with some of these devastating diseases," Jung said.
Jung and Haier, looking at the network of gray and white matter that comprises human intelligence, concluded there is significant consistency in brain structure and function related to intelligence.
From their review, they created the Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory, or P-FIT, which Jung said is the first testable, physical model of where intelligence resides in the human brain and what neural factors might affect cognitive performance.
Jung became interested in the topic prior to attending graduate school, when he started volunteering to work with Special Olympics, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities become physically fit, productive members of society through sports training and competition.
"I became attached to this group of individuals as a coach and as a friend, and I wanted to do something for that group of individuals," he said.
"It would be really nice if we could figure out ways to mitigate the damage done by neurological brain disorders that result in mental retardation. ... It would be great if we could help adults and youngsters who require a lot of help just to get through the day," Jung said.
A lot of researchers are looking for ways to cure Alzheimer's, schizophrenia or mental retardation, but not many are looking at the other side of the coin — research into what brains do well and how that can help research into what brains don't do well, Jung said.
With the P-FIT, researchers will now be able to test their studies against a model.
"Instead of having a piecemeal approach at looking at intelligence ... we now have a unified model to move forward with," said Jung, who expects the model to become more refined over time.
The neuroimaging studies they looked at analyzed both brain structure and function, including white matter and gray matter correlates of intelligence.
To explain those, Jung likens gray matter and white matter to the Internet in which computers connect to other computers so they can function at a higher rate than they could function alone. Gray matter can be compared to a computer's central processing unit, while white matter functions like the cables that allow the processing centers to communicate with each other.
Some of the 19 peer reviews published with the article faulted the limitations of the theoretical model. But Jung and Haier note that overall, those commentaries recognize P-FIT as "a reasonable empirical framework to test hypotheses about the relationship of brain structure and function with intelligence and reasoning."
"Some researchers out there ... may be able to tap into what we've done here and really improve people's lives in a dramatic fashion. That would be fantastic," Jung said.
Gestational diabetes ups obesity risk in offspring
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:42:34 GMTNEW YORK - Children born to mothers who developed diabetes during pregnancy are more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers, according to a new study.
However, treatment of so-called gestational diabetes reduces the risk.
Dr. Teresa A. Hillier and her colleagues studied nearly 10,000 mother-child pairs enrolled in Kaiser Permanente plans in Hawaii and in the Pacific Northwest during the period from 1995 to 2000. Women with preexisting diabetes were excluded.
Follow-up with the children 5 to 7 years later revealed a significant association between their weight and their mothers' blood glucose levels when tested during pregnancy, the researchers report in the medical journal Diabetes Care.
Specifically, a child was 28 percent more likely to be overweight or obese when the glucose level of the mother during pregnancy was in the top range rather than the lowest.
According to Hillier's team, the trend remained significant after factoring in maternal weight gain, maternal age, number of pregnancies, ethnicity, and birth weight.
However, further analysis showed that the risk of obesity was not significantly increased among children born to mothers with treated gestational diabetes.
&;Our results suggest that 'metabolic imprinting' of the future child for obesity occurs with one or more abnormalities on an oral glucose tolerance test,&; Hillier and her associates conclude. &;The risk is modifiable by treating gestational diabetes.&;
SOURCE: Diabetes Care, September 2007.
Gestational diabetes ups obesity risk in offspring
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:42:34 GMTNEW YORK - Children born to mothers who developed diabetes during pregnancy are more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers, according to a new study.
However, treatment of so-called gestational diabetes reduces the risk.
Dr. Teresa A. Hillier and her colleagues studied nearly 10,000 mother-child pairs enrolled in Kaiser Permanente plans in Hawaii and in the Pacific Northwest during the period from 1995 to 2000. Women with preexisting diabetes were excluded.
Follow-up with the children 5 to 7 years later revealed a significant association between their weight and their mothers' blood glucose levels when tested during pregnancy, the researchers report in the medical journal Diabetes Care.
Specifically, a child was 28 percent more likely to be overweight or obese when the glucose level of the mother during pregnancy was in the top range rather than the lowest.
According to Hillier's team, the trend remained significant after factoring in maternal weight gain, maternal age, number of pregnancies, ethnicity, and birth weight.
However, further analysis showed that the risk of obesity was not significantly increased among children born to mothers with treated gestational diabetes.
&;Our results suggest that 'metabolic imprinting' of the future child for obesity occurs with one or more abnormalities on an oral glucose tolerance test,&; Hillier and her associates conclude. &;The risk is modifiable by treating gestational diabetes.&;
SOURCE: Diabetes Care, September 2007.
Gang member jailed for selling fake Viagra
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:08:03 GMTLONDON - A member of an international crime ring which bought fake Viagra and drugs against baldness from factories in Asia before selling them on to unsuspecting customers at a huge profit has been jailed in Britain.
Ashish Halai was described by prosecutors as the British &;lynchpin&; of the operation, which bought bogus drugs for as little as 25 pence in China and Pakistan before they were sold online for up to 20 pounds per tablet.
Halai, 31, of Borehamwood, was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Kingston Crown Court after the largest investigation of its kind.
Sentencing him, Judge Nicholas Price said it was &;an undeniably lucrative business where consumers are easy prey, often too embarrassed to seek help from their doctors&;.
He noted that there was no evidence that the fake drugs had caused anyone any harm.
Halai, who was sentenced on four counts of selling fake medication, is one of four men who smuggled the drugs into Britain.
Gary Haywood, 58, of Leicester, Ashwin Patel, 24, of north London and Zahid Mirza, 45, of Ilford, Essex, were found guilty of involvement in the conspiracy in August and will be sentenced next month.
The court heard that the fake drugs involved were almost identical to the real products and contained around 90 percent of the active ingredient found in the genuine drugs.
British officials were alerted to the huge manufacturing and supply ring, which also had operations in the United States, the Bahamas and Mexico, following a chance seizure of thousands of tablets.
Investigators are still trying to work out how much money the men made from the ring.
Gang member jailed for selling fake Viagra
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:08:03 GMTLONDON - A member of an international crime ring which bought fake Viagra and drugs against baldness from factories in Asia before selling them on to unsuspecting customers at a huge profit has been jailed in Britain.
Ashish Halai was described by prosecutors as the British &;lynchpin&; of the operation, which bought bogus drugs for as little as 25 pence in China and Pakistan before they were sold online for up to 20 pounds per tablet.
Halai, 31, of Borehamwood, was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Kingston Crown Court after the largest investigation of its kind.
Sentencing him, Judge Nicholas Price said it was &;an undeniably lucrative business where consumers are easy prey, often too embarrassed to seek help from their doctors&;.
He noted that there was no evidence that the fake drugs had caused anyone any harm.
Halai, who was sentenced on four counts of selling fake medication, is one of four men who smuggled the drugs into Britain.
Gary Haywood, 58, of Leicester, Ashwin Patel, 24, of north London and Zahid Mirza, 45, of Ilford, Essex, were found guilty of involvement in the conspiracy in August and will be sentenced next month.
The court heard that the fake drugs involved were almost identical to the real products and contained around 90 percent of the active ingredient found in the genuine drugs.
British officials were alerted to the huge manufacturing and supply ring, which also had operations in the United States, the Bahamas and Mexico, following a chance seizure of thousands of tablets.
Investigators are still trying to work out how much money the men made from the ring.
PG warned on hand sanitizer claims
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:55:40 GMTWASHINGTON - Procter & Gamble Co made unsupported claims that one of its hand sanitizers could prevent colds among school children and fight microbes for up to three hours, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday.
The product, Vicks Early Defense Foaming Hand Sanitizer, &;has not been proven safe and effective for these claims,&; the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
Early Defense contains triclosan, a chemical approved for over-the-counter products.
The FDA said it considered Early Defense to be an unapproved drug because it did not contain proper instructions for use and carried the unsupported claims.
A Procter & Gamble spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.
PG warned on hand sanitizer claims
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:55:40 GMTWASHINGTON - Procter & Gamble Co made unsupported claims that one of its hand sanitizers could prevent colds among school children and fight microbes for up to three hours, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday.
The product, Vicks Early Defense Foaming Hand Sanitizer, &;has not been proven safe and effective for these claims,&; the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
Early Defense contains triclosan, a chemical approved for over-the-counter products.
The FDA said it considered Early Defense to be an unapproved drug because it did not contain proper instructions for use and carried the unsupported claims.
A Procter & Gamble spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Tooth loss in elderly linked to mental impairment
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:26:31 GMTBy Anne Harding
NEW YORK - Older people who have lost their teeth are at more than three-fold greater risk of memory problems and dementia, UK researchers report.
&;This study essentially raises questions rather than answering them,&; Dr. Robert Stewart of Kings College London, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. &;The measurements were taken at the same time, so we are not able to say what caused what.&;
It's possible that people with cognitive impairment simply take worse care of their teeth, he added, but there are also mechanisms by which poor dental health itself could harm the brain. &;One message still stands regardless of what caused what,&; he said. &;Particular attention may need to be paid to the health and nutrition of people with cognitive impairment because they may also have dental problems.&;
Stewart and his colleague Vasant Hirani at University College London looked at 2,463 men and women 65 and older who were living independently, as well as 1,569 elderly people residing in nursing homes. Among people living independently, 40 percent had no teeth, compared to 68 percent of those in nursing homes, the investigators report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The researchers calculated that people with no teeth were at 3.57 times greater risk of having cognitive impairment than those who had some or all of their teeth. The relationship was only significant for people who lived independently, while there was no similar association among nursing home residents.
There are two possible ways that poor dental health might boost the risk of cognitive problems, Stewart noted.
&;Firstly, dental disease often causes prolonged inflammation and infection in the mouth; both of these may alter some factors in the blood which might possibly cause problems in the brain,&; he explained.
&;Secondly, people who lose a lot of teeth tend to alter their diet. There is a lot of interest at the moment in the association between diet and some forms of dementia, like Alzheimer's disease. If people move towards a less-balanced diet as a result of their loss of teeth, then this could result in vitamin deficiencies and other problems which might affect the brain.&;
More research is needed, Stewart and Hirani conclude, before a causative relationship can be proven or disproven. &;However it is certainly a good idea for all sorts of reasons to take care of your teeth as you get older and to make sure that any problems are dealt with promptly by an appropriate specialist,&; Stewart said. &;If you do lose teeth, you may find that you have to change your diet but it is important to make sure that it stays balanced. Your family doctor, dentist or a dietitian can advise on this.&;
SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, September 2007.
