U.S. AIDS-Relief Plan a Success, Report Finds

Title: U.S. AIDS-Relief Plan a Success, Report Finds
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 12:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM

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'Smarter Lunchroom' May Lead to Healthier Choices

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- A few simple and inexpensive changes to school cafeterias can help encourage children to eat healthier foods at lunch, a new study finds.

The changes included improving the convenience and attractiveness of fruits and vegetables (such as placing fresh fruit in nice bowls or tiered stands next to the cash register) and having cafeteria staff prompt children to choose fruits and vegetables by asking them questions such as, "Would you like to try an apple?"

The "smarter lunchroom" makeover took no more than three hours in one afternoon and cost less than $50, according to the researchers at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs, in Ithaca, N.Y.

The program was tested in the cafeterias of two junior-senior high schools (grades 7 to 12) in western New York. After the makeover, students were 13 percent more likely to select fruits and 23 percent more likely to take vegetables, according to the study, which was published Feb. 22 in the Journal of Pediatrics.

When researchers recorded what was left on trays after lunch, they found fruit consumption had increased 18 percent and vegetable consumption rose 25 percent. The likelihood that students would eat whole servings of fruits or vegetables increased 16 percent and 10 percent, respectively, they said.

This low-cost, effective approach could help combat rising rates of childhood obesity in the United States, said study author Andrew Hanks. Last year, the U.S. government introduced regulations to make school lunches more nutritious. But children can't be forced to eat these healthier lunches.

The "smart lunchroom" makeover "not only preserves choice, but has the potential to lead children to develop lifelong habits of selecting and consuming healthier foods even when confronted with less healthy options," Hanks noted.

These changes could also prove effective in the cafeterias of hospitals, retirement homes, businesses and other organizations, he suggested.

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more about children and healthy eating.

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Plastics Chemical BPA Common in 'Preemie' ICU: Study

Title: Plastics Chemical BPA Common in 'Preemie' ICU: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 2/22/2013 10:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Medical Groups Warn About Unnecessary Tests

Dozens of types of tests and treatments are too often recommended by doctors when patients don't need them, according to a warning issued Thursday by a coalition of leading medical groups in the United States.

This unnecessary care wastes time and money and sometimes causes harm to patients, according to the organizations that represent more than 350,000 doctors, the Associated Press reported.

The Choosing Wisely Coalition said patients need to ask their doctors, "Do I really need that?". The coalition was formed by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation.

Too many people "think that more is better, that more treatment, more testing somehow results in better health care," Dr. Glen Stream, former president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told the AP. "That really is not true."

The academy contributed to this year's list of 90 examples of potentially needless care, which adds to 45 examples included on last year's list. Among the newly-added warnings:

Don't screen for a clogged neck artery in healthy people with no stroke signs. It could lead to risky surgery for a blockage that would cause no harm.Don't try feeding tubes in people with advanced dementia. Helping them eat is a better approach.Don't routinely give heartburn medicine to infants with reflux. This treatment hasn't been proven effective in babies and could cause side effects.Don't prescribe opioid painkillers for migraines except as a last resort. Opioids can carry the risk of addiction and can actually worsen migraines. Instead, use more migraine-specific drugs.Don't induce labor if a pregnant woman misses her due date and both mother and baby are doing fine.

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Blood Thinners May Boost Survival for Prostate Cancer Patients: Study

Title: Blood Thinners May Boost Survival for Prostate Cancer Patients: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 2/21/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Health Tip: Help Prevent Constipation

Title: Health Tip: Help Prevent Constipation
Category: Health News
Created: 2/22/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM

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