Category Archives: Nutrition

Low Iron in Babies May Be Linked to Bad Behavior as Toddlers

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Greg Asseff

Children in the toddler age group, typically considered to be ages one through three, are infamous for throwing tantrums and misbehaving. Aside from different parental strategies, a small child’s diet may also affect how they behave. For example, a recent study by researchers in Sweden suggests that future behavioral problems may be reduced in underweight babies by giving them iron supplements. In the study, underweight babies who went without iron supplements increased their risk of having behavioral issues up to 5 times by the age of 3 in comparison to underweight babies who did receive iron supplementation as infants. Past studies have shown that underweight babies — in other words, those weighing less than 5.5 pounds at birth — are prone to both iron deficiency and behavioral problems now linked to low iron in babies.

Posted in Diet, Health, Health Facts, Medical, Mental Health, News, Nutrition, Parenting, Studies | 2,487 Comments

Feel Fuller Longer: What You Think You Ate Determines Fullness

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Greg Asseff

Nutritionists have long believed that most people will declare themselves “full” when they’ve eaten all the food on their plate, no matter how much food was on the plate in the first place — a belief previously proven through scientific study. Now, a new study is suggesting that people will feel fuller longer after eating a meal if they believe the meal was large. Researchers from the United Kingdom’s University of Bristol gathered 100 students whose average age was 26. Each student was presented with either a 17-ounce or 10-ounce serving of tomato soup. However, the researchers used a hidden pump to change the amount of soup in each bowl, unbeknownst to the students. In the end, some of the students who saw a 10-ounce bowl actually consumed 17 ounces of soup, while others who saw a 17-ounce bowl actually only ate 10 ounces.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Health Facts, Mental Health, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss | 1,052 Comments

Children and Pesticides: Pediatricians Outline the Dangers

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Greg Asseff

The potential health risks of pesticides have been fairly well documented in adults. Some such chemicals can cause skin or eye irritation as well as damage to the body’s endocrine system. Pesticides can also affect the nervous system, as well as being carcinogens. The risks may be even worse for children, however. New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that parents should limit their children’s exposure to pesticides as much as possible. According to the guidelines released November 26th, 2012, children and pesticides are an especially dangerous combination. The chemicals may be present in the air they breathe, the food they eat and the ground they play on. Limiting their exposure could prevent health problems now and far into the future, according to the researchers behind the new study.

Posted in Food, Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Nutrition, Parenting, Studies | 3,035 Comments

Cause of Obesity? Young Children in Day Care Face Weight Problems Later

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Greg Asseff

According the United States Census Bureau, around 23.5 percent of all children under the age of five in the U.S. attended some sort of organized care facility in the spring of 2011. Unfortunately, children who attend day care are more likely to struggle with weight problems as they approach adolescence, according to a new study on the cause of obesity by the University of Montreal. During the study, children who were enrolled in day care between 1 and 4 years of age increased their risk of being obese or overweight by 65% by the time they reached the age of 4 to 10. Further, children cared for by non-parental family members were also more likely to struggle with weight later on, though not to the same extent as day care children. Children cared for exclusively by their parents prior to age 4 did not exhibit this increased risk.

Posted in Diet, Exercise, Health, Health Facts, News, Nutrition, Parenting, Studies, Weight Loss | 2 Comments

Muscle Building Study Finds Many Teens Focused on Bodybuilding

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Greg Asseff

A surprisingly large number of teenagers, including both boys and girls, care about building muscle and take various steps toward doing so, according to a new muscle building study by researchers at the University of Minnesota. While many of these muscle building habits are healthy, some of them could actually lead to long-term health problems, according to the researchers. It’s important for parents, doctors, educators and the teens themselves to understand which bodybuilding habits are healthy and which are not. The study, which surveyed approximately 2,800 students from 20 middle schools and high schools around St. Paul and Minneapolis, came to some interesting conclusions about the muscle building habits of teenagers. Approximately 80% of girls and 91% of boys said they exercised longer and/or harder to increase muscle. Making changes to eating habits to support muscle growth was found to be less common but still highly prevalent, with 62% of girls and 68% of boys admitting to doing so. Teens unfortunately reported using riskier methods as well, however.