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Does Drinking Water Before Meals Help You Lose Weight?Two glasses before meals may help you shed pounds permanentlyBy HANNA DUBANSKYPosted:November 24,2010Drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before breakfast,lunch,and dinnermay be just the backstop your willpower needs to help you shed poundspermanently in 2011,according to a recent study published in Obesity.Researchers instructed two groups of overweight or obese men andwomen to follow a low-calorie diet,asking one group to also drink twocups of water before meals.After 12 weeks,the water drinkers had lostan average of 15%pounds,compared with 11 pounds for the controlgroup.Those who continued the habit for a year lost an additional 1%pounds on average.I would never promote this as a get-slim-quickscheme,says senior study author Brenda Davy,an associate professor inthe department of human nutrition,foods,and exercise at Virginia TechUniversity,who notes that the practice slows the emptying of the stomach.This is simply an additional strategy that could help people manage theirhunger.The study examined the effect only on middle-age and older adults,butLiwei Chen,an assistant professor of epidemiology at Louisiana StateUniversity Health Science Center School of Public Health,thinks its asmart strategy for everybody,particularly if it causes them to cut back onsoda.American adults average 28 ounces of sugar-sweetened beveragesper day,says Chen,who led a study published in May that found even asmall reduction in sugar intake significantly lowered blood pressure.Aim to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages altogether,she advises.Thatway,you battle two risk factors at once.U.S.Dietary Guidelines About to Change-Get Ready for a Serious FoodFightNew federal dietary guidelines could go beyond how we eat to attackthe way food is marketedBy HANNA DUBANSKYPosted:November 24,2010A few more than the usual number of New Years pledges to eat better,exercise diligently,and shed flab just might be kept in 2011,pending thefederal governments about-to-be-unveiled revamping of the 2005Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Updated by law every five years bythe Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and HumanServices,the guidelines direct federal nutritional policy from the contentsof an 8-year-olds cafeteria tray to the numbers displayed on thenutritional label of a can of tomato soup.Few Americans are leftuntouched by their recommendations.The thrust and details of the 2010 guidelines wont be known until theyare released,a change from before,when the government simply adoptedthe recommendations of an advisory panel.This time DOA and HHS arehammering out the final version behind the curtains,with a 13-memberadvisory panel providing input rather than dictating the content.But thereport and recommendations released by the panel in June are bound tocarry heavy weight.If the panels input foreshadows the shape and scopeof the guidelines the government will issue,the public will see a thoroughoverhaul,and one that reflects a sense of urgency.The report marks the first time proposed guidelines have confrontedobesity directly.It notes that nearly three-fourths of women andtwo-thirds of men are now considered overweight or obese,and it callsfor quick and far-reaching changesnot only in personal diet andlifestyle but also in the marketplace,to reverse the trend.The obesityepidemic has only gotten worse since 2005,says Linda Van Horn,chairof the advisory committee and professor of preventive medicine atNorthwestern University.The advisors also observed that Americans eat not only too much but notenough of what they should.The 2005 guidelines urged greaterconsumption of fruit and vegetables,for instance,but a recent report fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2009 onlyabout one in three adults had more than a single serving of fruit a day andone in four had more than two helpings of vegetablesfar short of therecommended two and three daily servings respectively.The question is what will take some of the air out of the ballooningobesity rate-a trend that Walter Willett,professor of epidemiology andnutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health,partly blames on theexisting guidelines.By vilifying fats and overpromoting carbohydrates,he says,the current guidelines may have indirectly contributed to theobesity epidemic.Willett is among a chorus of critics eager for change.MyPyramid,the iconic visual summary of the 2005 guidelines,is widelyviewed as hard to decipher(what do those colored stripes mean?)and theguidelines are seen as lagging behind current thinking both on desirableamounts of nutrients such as proteins,carbohydrates,and trans fats and infocusing too specifically on such nutrients.Advising the public to avoidtoo much fat,saturated fat,and cholesterol,and to eat foods withadequate starch and fiber,for example,is seen by the advisory panel asgiving insufficient attention to other attributes of food quality.At first glance,the advisors seem to follow the well-worn path of ageneral attack on fat,sugar,and salt(proposing a 35 percent decrease inthe daily salt allowance,for example),exhortation to consume morevegetables and whole grains,and praise for seafood,lean meats,poultry,eggs,and fat-free and low-fat milk as opposed to fattier sources ofprotein.But two new chapters in the report signal a clear change in direction.Oneblends the panels findings into a practical approach to eating.The otherdiscusses what it calls powerful influences that currently promoteunhealthy consumer choices,behaviors and lifestylesthe billions ofdollars spent on marketing junk food,for one-and lays out ways tosidestep barriers to a healthier lifestyle.Fruits and veggies could be morewidely available by encouraging the growth of farmers markets,forexample.And all of the panels proposals rely on solid findings-they areevidence-based,in science-speak-that utilize the Nutrition EvidenceLibrary established by the USDA in 2009.Tremendous effort was put forth to not stop at pointing to problems,butmaking specific recommendations on how to address them,says VanHorn.Its one thing to review the evidence;its another to take thosefindings and create implementable strategies that work.And infants,children,and pregnant women,vulnerable subgroups ignored in previousreports,each get individual attention.Industry opposition and lobbying in response to the report have beenintense.The meat lobby opposes the recommended shift toward a moreplant-based diet.The Salt Institute has aggressively battled theproposed reduction in the daily ceiling on sodium.The dairy industry iswary of recommendations for reduced sugar,lest flavored milk falls outof favor.But if they are to have real impact,the new guidelines must be aggressive,says Van Horn,who notes that prior guidelines mostly addressed nutrientdeficiencies and other nutritional mainstays and generally avoided takingcontroversial stands.We need to prioritize obesity,she says.To donothing more than we have means that five years from now well be in aneven worse situation.Best and Worst Fast Food Kids MealsA new report suggests fast food is still unhealthy,adding to concernsabout childhood obesityBy ANGELA HAUPTPosted:November 9,2010A Happy Meal at McDonaldsEven if you dont want fries with that kids meal,chances are your fastfood restaurant wants to give you some.Chains like McDonalds,TacoBell,and Burger King offer unhealthy sides and drinks 84 percent of thetime,in lieu of their more nutritious offerings like apple slices,yogurt,and juice.Thats among the findings of a new analysis released Mondayby researchers at Yale Universitys Rudd Center for Food Policy andObesity,which examined fast food marketing and nutrition trends.Thefast food industry has stepped up its efforts to reach children and teens,the researchers say:Last year,preschoolers saw 56 percent more ads forSubway,21 percent more ads for McDonalds,and 9 percent more ads forBurger King than they did in 2007.And often,theyre bombarded withimages of snacks and dessertschildren see more than twoadvertisements each day promoting unhealthy menu items.The report adds weight to concerns about the childhood obesity epidemic.As fast food marketing campaigns become more aggressive,children aremore likely to chow down on greasy fries and burgers,Rudd Centerresearchers say,which could take a toll on their waistlines.Andchildhood obesity isnt just a short-term problem:Obese teens are 16times more likely than their peers to become severely obese by age 30,according to a study published today in the Journal of the AmericanMedical Association.(Severe obesity was defined as a body mass indexof 40 or greater;obesity was defined as a BMI of more than 25.)Severeobesity can lead to diabetes,hypertension,asthma,arthritis,and a shorterlife,says senior author Penny Gordon-Larsen,a nutrition researcher at theUniversity of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.Its very easy to eat a high-calorie,high-fat diet,she says.We have somuch food around-high-fat,high-sugar,tasty food that we need to bevery careful of.Those foods are marketed well to people,and makinghealthier choices takes a lot more work.Thats why California is taking steps to blunt the influence fast-foodmarketing can have by banning toys that come with kids meals loadedwith calories,fat,and sugar.Last week,San Franciscos Board ofSupervisors approved an ordinance that would prevent fast food chainsfrom offering toys with kids meals,unless they contain less than 600caloriesno more than 35 percent from fat-and 640 milligrams ofsodium.All meals would also be required to include fruits and vegetables.The legislation could become law in December.Industry officials cite some chains increasing emphasis on healthyoptions:There can be no dispute that the restaurant industry has beencommitted to providing a growing array of nutritious offerings forchildren,Joy Dubost,director of nutrition and healthy living at theNational Restaurant Association,said in a statement to reporters.Numerous surveys show the increasing number of healthful options inkids meals.And nutritious offerings in childrens meals is the numberone food trend in fast food restaurants.The Rudd Center researchers analyzed the calories,fat,sugar,and sodiumin more than 3,000 possible combinations that chains market as kidsmeals.The meals were then ranked as best and worst based onguidelines set in 2009 by the Institute of Medicine,an independentadvisory panel to the U.S.government.Preschool children shouldconsume no more than 410 calories and 544 milligrams of sodium permeal,according to the IOM,compared to 650 calories and 636milligrams of sodium for elementary school children,and 700 caloriesand 720 milligrams of sodium for older children.Only 12 kids mealcombos met the IOMS nutrition criteria for preschoolers,while 15 metthe criteria for elementary kids.Another 20 combos met kids caloriegoals,but were too high in at least one area,like sodium,the Ruddresearchers found.Just 36-or approximately 1 percent-of the kidsmeal combos they examined qualified as best,which the researchersranked.The vast majority,however,were placed in the worst category andwerent ranked,since they were all equally bad,says study leaderJennifer Harris,director of marketing initiatives at the Rudd Center.Instead,researchers described the worst three kids meals at eachrestaurant.But if parents are turning to a fast food restaurant for dinner,any of the best options are all reasonable,she says:We feelcomfortable recommending those meals to children.These,according to the researchers,are some of the best and worst kidsmeal combinations at eight popular fast food chains:SubwayBest:Veggie Delite sandwich(wheat bread,no cheese);apple slices;100percent juice.Rank:#1 Calories:285 calories Salt:295 milligrams Saturated fat:0 caloriesWorst:None.They only offer milk and 100 percent juice,and they haveapples and yogurt as sides.And their sandwiches are all pretty low in fat,Harris says.Burger KingBest:Macaroni and cheese;apple fries(without caramel sauce);fat-free milk.Rank:#6 Calories:285 Salt:490 milligrams Saturated fat:14 caloriesWorst:Cheeseburger;French fries;Dr.Pepper Calories:635 Salt:1,106 milligramsSaturated fat:86 caloriesKentucky Fried ChickenBest:Grilled chicken drumstick;corn on the cob;unsweetened tea;stringcheese.Rank:#16 Calories:270 Salt:545 milligrams Saturated fat:23 caloriesWorst:Extra crispy chicken drumstick;potato wedges;Mountain Dew;string cheese Calories:680 Salt:1,330 milligrams Saturated fat:54 caloriesSonicBest:Jr.Burger;apple slices;unsweetened tea.Rank:#20 Calories:350 Salt:620 milligramsSaturated fat:45 caloriesWorst:Two chicken strips with ranch sauce;French fries;green appleslush Calories:708 Salt:1,012 milligrams Saturated fat:51 caloriesWendysBest:Crispy chicken sandwich;mandarin orange cup;low-fat milk.Rank:#26 Calories:520 Salt:815 milligrams Saturated fat:41 caloriesWorst:Four chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce;French fries;Vanilla Frosty Jr.Calories:610 Salt:760 milligrams Saturated fat:68 caloriesMcDonaldsBest:Hamburger;apple dippers(without caramel dip);low-fat milk.Rank:#30 Calories:385 Salt:645 milligrams Saturated fat:45 caloriesWorst:Cheeseburger;French fries;Hi-C Orange Lavaburst Calories:650 Salt:910 milligrams Saturated fat:68 caloriesDairy QueenBest:Chicken strips with ketchup;applesauce;Sprite;vanilla ice-creamcone.Rank:#33 Calories:628Salt:1,000 milligrams Saturated fat:32 caloriesWorst:Cheeseburger;French fries;Mountain Dew;chocolate Dilly Bar Calories:973 Salt:1,450 milligrams Saturated fat:171 caloriesTaco BellBest:None.Taco Bell did not meet the researchers criteria for healthyoptions.Worst:Bean burrito;cinnamon twists;Mountain Dew Baja Blast Calories:760 Salt:1,530 milligrams Saturated fat:32 caloriesCancer Prevention:Rethink Your Diet as Well as Your SmokingMany cancers could be prevented if Americans quit smoking and atedifferentlyBy DEBORAH KOTZPosted:September 8,2010If everyone were to quit smoking today,nearly 450,000 fewer Americanswould die annually from smoking-related diseases.Yet even with all thesmoking bans across the country,one in five Americans still lights upregularly-a rate thats plateaued since 2005 after four decades of decline,according to a report issued Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention.While the smoking-lung cancer connection is an old story,every week,it seems,another headline tells you what you should orshouldnt eat to avert the big C.Eat a colorful array of fruits andvegetables to ward off lung cancer,says one recent study;avoid softdrinks if you dont want to die of pancreatic cancer,warns another.Wineis good for your heart,but may increase your risk of breast cancer,otherssuggest.And who wouldnt be willing to give up the Diet Coke or chardonnay tosidestep the disease we fear most?It you took action based on researchpublished this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine,you might findyourself forgoing hamburgers and chicken wings and embracing soyburg