Survey: Consumers Want Widespread Calorie Labeling on Menus

The majority of Americans would like to see calorie information next to many menu offerings that are set to be exempt from an upcoming government rule requiring calorie labeling on menus, according to a recent survey of approximately 1,000 adults. 

The poll, commissioned by consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), found that 70 percent of respondents would like to see calorie information on movie theater menus; 68 percent favor calorie labeling for alcoholic beverages and 77 percent want labeling next to pizza slices, hot dogs and burritos served at convenience stores. 

All of these food items and venues are currently not affected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 
preliminary version of calorie labeling requirements for chain restaurants, mandated by the Affordable Care Act of 2010. 

The proposed rule, published last year, obliges food establishments with 20 or more locations to post calorie information next to menu items, but does not apply to movie theaters, airplanes, bowling alleys, sports arenas or any other whose primary purpose is not food service, according to FDA. It also exempts alcoholic beverages sold at chain restaurants.

These survey results - released Monday - suggest that consumers disagree with those exceptions.   

"We're very concerned about the industry not applying menu labeling as broadly as the law requires," said Margot Wootan, nutrition director at CSPI, in an interview with
Food Safety News. "We're hoping that this helps to show that they can and should apply menu labeling to as many venues as possible and to all menu items, as the law requires."

"If McDonald's is providing calorie counts for its sodas, why shouldn't 7-11 or Regal Cinemas?," asked Wootan in a
press release Monday.  "If Cracker Barrel has to list calories for its salad bar items, why shouldn't Whole Foods or Safeway?"

The consumer opinions in this poll echo those in a 
letter from health organization officials written last month asking FDA to extend calorie labeling rules to cover all retail food establishments. 

"Unfortunately, the definition of similar retail food establishments used in the proposed 

regulations would significantly limit the ability of consumers to make informed choices 

by reducing the number of venues providing calorie labeling," read the letter, signed by the executive directors of the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, along with 19 others.  

"The definition also would be unfair, as some chains that provide ready‐to‐eat foods are covered and others are not," the letter continued. "Many of the foods sold in the venues that the Administration has proposed exempting are essentially identical to foods that will be covered in restaurants." 

Some food chains have argued that since their establishments offer varying portion sizes and topping options, along with remote ordering options, calorie labeling on in-store menus is impractical.

Two years ago, six of the country's leading Pizza companies came together to form the American Pizza Community, in part to shape menu labeling requirements that affect the pizza industry. The group says that customizable pizzas vary so much, and that so many consumers order online or via telephone that posting calorie information would be inefficient. 

"At Domino's, roughly 90 percent of our customers never even walk into a store to order, so  having expensive menu boards with calorie labeling that need frequent updating is not only providing no useful information to our customers, but it is also creating an expensive burden for our small business franchises," said Jenny Fouracre, Director of Investor Relations and Legislative Affairs in an e-mailed statement to
Food Safety News. 

"We're also asking for menu labeling on standard built pizzas, not custom pizzas, since there are over 34 million ways to order a custom pizza," says Fouracre. 

Wootan, on the other hand, says customizable foods should not receive exceptions for calorie labeling requirements.

"They're saying that the toppings for pizza can vary, but that's no different than how sandwiches vary depending on the bread, toppings and meat," she says. "The law only requires that standard menu items are labeled as they're usually offered for sale. If there are variable toppings or possible combinations then companies can post a range of calories for those items."

After releasing its
draft regulations, FDA said it hoped to have a final rule published by the end of 2011. No final rule has yet been issued, but some experts
predict that it will be released this fall.

The agency did not respond to Food Safety News' request for comment on the regulations. 

"We're anxious to see a final regulation that we were all expecting by the end of 2011, and already here it is June of 2012," Wootan told
Food Safety News. "We also want to make sure that that rule is covering as many outlets and all menu items that the law requires." 

Poll results can be accessed
here. 

Source : http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/06/consumers-want-calorie-labeling/

Girls who survive childhood cancer face breast cancer risk as adults from radiation

(CBS News) Childhood cancer survivors often face a tough battle against a disease that zaps their strength and treatments that cause nasty side effects. Now a new study shows girls who were treated with chest radiation during a bout of childhood cancer and survived are at risk for developing breast cancer as adults.

An increased risk of breast cancer is already a known, long-term side effect of moderate to high-dose radiation therapy to the chest, and current screening guidelines for childhood cancer survivors recommend annual screening with a mammogram or MRI for women who received 20 or more Gray or Gy - a measure of the radiation dose - of therapy to the chest. But this new study found that survivors who received lower radiation doses have a higher risk of breast cancer, and may need to follow similar recommendations.

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The study, presented June 4 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago, looked at more than 1,200 women who survived childhood cancer, and compared them with data on 4,570 women who were relatives of someone with breast cancer. They found that by age 50, almost a quarter of women who survived childhood cancer developed breast cancer.

Thirty percent of women treated for Hodgkin lymphoma as children - a cancer of the lymph system that our bodies use to fight infection and disease - developed breast cancer before 50. The researchers say this added risk is similar to that of women who possess the so-called "breast cancer genes" BRCA1 and BRCA2. Reviewing data on relatives of someone with breast cancer tied having the  BRCA1 gene to a 30 percent risk of getting the disease and BRCA2 to a 10 percent added risk.  An average woman's risk of breast cancer by age 50 is 4 percent.

Risk was evident from moderate doses of radiation in the 10 to 19 Gy range, about 7 percent developed breast cancer, compared with 12 percent who received radiation doses of 20 Gy or higher.

"While radiation doses have decreased and techniques have improved, radiation therapy is still an essential part of treatment for many childhood cancers," said study author Dr. Chaya S. Moskowitz, associate attending biostatistician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, said in a news release. "The goal is to cure the cancer for more children while lessening future health problems. Our results suggest that young women treated with lower doses of radiation who are not currently being screened also have a higher risk of breast cancer and might benefit from a similar screening schedule."

Dr. Paula Ryan, a breast cancer specialist at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia who was not involved with the study, told the Associated Press that up to 9,000 more women who were given moderate radiation may need to get screened for breast cancer from the new findings.

"They're a group that may be vulnerable," she said.

Childhood cancer treatments today typically provide lower doses of radiation to smaller regions of the body. More than 10,000 children are diagnosed with a childhood cancer each year, according to the National Cancer Institute, and more than 1,500 kids will die. Among the 12 major types of childhood cancers, leukemias (blood cell cancers) and cancers of the brain and central nervous system account for more than half of the new cases.

Source : http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57446560-10391704/girls-who-survive-childhood-cancer-face-breast-cancer-risk-as-adults-from-radiation/

A better way to heal surgical wounds

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What starts out as a small problem after surgery can sometimes lead to an infection that can get out of control and, in many cases, prove to be deadly.

In the U.S., infections cost about 25 million dollars every year. Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor of FoxNews.com, recently sat down with Dr. John Lantis, vascular surgeon and head of the wound center at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City to talk about a new technology that is keeping patients safer after surgery.

PICO is new type of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) that is different from traditional systems because it is pocket-sized and single use.

Previous NPWT systems used a large, bulky canister to collect the fluids that drain from surgical wounds. But the PICO system uses a palm-sized pump and a high-tech dressing that helps to manage fluids more easily.

“There is a silicone sheet that goes over the wound and then the dressing itself wicks the moisture away,” Lantis said. “The moisture is pulled away from the wound edges and brought through so it can evaporate out the top.”

Lantis said there are certain risk factors that some patients possess that makes wound healing more difficult. These are the patients that would get the most benefit from using PICO.

“One of the things we are seeing in our population unfortunately is obesity, so patients who are very fat and patients with diabetes, which is a growing concern,” he said.

Lantis added that people with vascular problems, like smokers also have a higher risk of wound complications.

“The goal of this dressing would be to use the dressing first to prevent any complications with healing,” Lantis said.

PICO was approved by the FDA in January of 2012, and Lantis said there are studies being conducted currently to find out more about the potential benefits of the device.

For more information on PICO, visit www.possiblewithpico.com.

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Source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/06/04/better-way-to-heal-surgical-wounds/

Prevent major disease with 5 easy health habits

If you want to prevent major disease and stay healthy and happy throughout life, you might consider engaging in 5 easy to accomplish health habits, highlighted in the American Journal of Medicine. All of the health tips are based on study reviews that clearly show just how easy it is to prevent illness and improve your health.

Six steps toward better health

Eat fresh fish - According to the study authors, it's now apparent that eating fish can reduce the chances of colon cancer. People who live in countries with the highest amount of fish in their diet have the lowest rates of the disease that is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the Western world.

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A review of studies by Xi'an, China scientists affirms colorectal cancer can be reduced by 12% just by eating fresh fish regularly. The finding comes from a review of 41 studies that were published between 1990 and 2011.

Eating fish is especially effective for reducing the chances of rectal cancer. The studies showed fish in the diet can lower rectal cancer risk up to 24% and colon cancer by 4%.

Take a baby aspirin daily – Providing there are no contraindications from your doctor, taking a low dose, or baby aspirin daily can prevent heart disease and cancer deaths; is simple and costs very little.

A review of 23 studies, performed by Edward J. Mills, PhD, MSc, of the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues showed conclusively that aspirin can prevent cancer. The anti-cancer effect low dose aspirin was confirmed at approximately four-year follow up.

Visit your dentist regularly – Periodontal disease has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. Researchers looked at over 10,000 patients in two groups -one group who had regular teeth cleaning and one that did not - to find those who had regular dental visits for tooth scaling had fewer heart attacks and other heart related events.

Avoid tobacco – Few people are unaware of the health perks that come from tobacco cessation or avoidance. But the good news is that studies find hypnotherapy and acupuncture can help smokers kick the habit.

In their study review, Mark J. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, of McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, and colleagues found patients who received hypnotherapy were 4.55 times more likely to stop smoking, compared to people who tried conventional stop-smoking methods. Acupuncture recipients were 3.53 times more likely to abstain from smoking. The information was found in a meta-analysis of 14 clinical trials.

Make weight loss a success– If you’re overweight, seek help from a primary care practice. William C. Haas, MD, of East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, and colleagues found losing weight can be easily guided by primary care physicians in an office or weight loss clinic setting.

Patients who received behavioral modification and diet counseling, including partial or complete meal replacement, were able to shed pounds without going to a weight loss center.

Guidance from primary care providers helped patients lose more fat and was as effective as weight loss centers for reducing weight. Patients who chose full meal replacements were more successful. On average, patients lost 11.1% of their body weight.

The study authors have pulled together a range of 5 health habits that anyone can accomplish to prevent disease. Speak with your doctor about taking aspirin daily and weight loss help. In addition to the six easy steps highlighted by various research findings, remember it’s important to stay active throughout life.

Source:
American Journal of Medicine

"Fish Consumption and Colorectal Cancer Risk in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
Shengjun Wu, et al.
4/18/2012

"Low-dose Aspirin and Cancer Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials"
Edward J. Mills, et al
4/18/2012

"The Association of Tooth Scaling and Decreased Cardiovascular Disease: A Nationwide Population-based Study"
Zu-Yin Chen, et al.
4/5/2012

"Alternative Smoking Cessation Aids: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials"
Mehdi Tahiri, et al.
4/13/2012

Source : http://emaxhealth.com//1020/prevent-major-disease-5-easy-health-habits

Most new moms don't meet own breastfeeding goals

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Two thirds of new mothers who intended to breastfeed exclusively for several months or more didn't meet their own goals in a new study.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that several factors influenced whether mothers of newborns would stick to their plan to breastfeed only, including actions by hospital staff in the first hours and days after delivery.

"We do know the hospitals have an important role to play. It's certainly a short period of time, but it's a very critical period of time," said Cria Perrine, a CDC epidemiologist who led the study.

To find out what hospitals can do, and what they should avoid, to help promote breastfeeding, Perrine and her colleagues used information from an existing study that followed more than 3,000 pregnant women between 2005 and 2007.

The women were all over 18 years old, were pregnant for at least 35 weeks and gave birth to a child who weighed at least five pounds. Participants answered at least 11 questionnaires over the course of one year, starting while they were still pregnant.

At that time, 1792 women (60 percent) who completed the questionnaires said they planned to exclusively breastfeed their babies for some period of time, ranging from several weeks to seven months or more.

Of these, the majority (85 percent) planned to breastfeed for three months or more.

But whatever their intended breastfeeding period, only 32 percent actually met their goal.

Many women who intended to breastfeed for months more stopped after only one month, and about 15 percent stopped before leaving the hospital.

Ideally, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should be fed breast milk alone for six months, then should keep getting breast milk along with solid foods for at least their first year.

Perrine and her colleagues, who published their results in the journal Pediatrics on Monday, found that certain women were more likely to give up on their breastfeeding goals than others.

Specifically, mothers who were obese, smoked or said they would exclusively breastfeed longer than most were less likely to meet their goals. Meanwhile, mothers who were married or in a partnership were more likely to meet their goals than single moms.

Certain aspects of hospital care right after delivery also seemed to influence whether a woman met her breastfeeding goal or not.

Specifically, mothers who started to breastfeed their babies within an hour of delivery, and those whose babies were not given formula or pacifiers in the hospital were more likely to breastfeed for the time they had intended.

Dr. Jennifer DiPace, medical director of the newborn nursery at the Komansky Center for Children's Health at the NY-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, told Reuters health that the study reinforces the point that hospitals should make sure they're encouraging and promoting breastfeeding from the moment the baby is born -- perhaps even before birth.

"In general, what a mother needs to do is think about what her goals are before a baby (is) born and communicating that to the team once the baby is born, and having realistic expectations," said DiPace.

Perrine told Reuters Health that it's hard to meet the current recommendations in today's environment, so it's also important for the community -- families and people in the workplace -- to support nursing women.

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Source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/06/04/most-new-moms-dont-meet-own-breastfeeding-goals/

Dark chocolate reported to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

According to a new study, being a chocaholic might be a component of a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, it might be a money-saving healthcare strategy for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in high-risk individuals. Researchers in Melbourne, Australia published the results of their research online on May 31 in the BMJ.

The authors noted that short term clinical trials have reported that dark chocolate consumption can potentially reduce systolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg and total cholesterol concentration by 0.21 mmol/L. To build on current research, the investigators conducted a long-term study to evaluate the potential health benefits and cost-effectiveness of daily dark chocolate consumption in a high risk population.

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The study group was comprised of 2,013 individuals with hypertension (high blood pressures) who met the criteria for metabolic syndrome and had no history of cardiovascular disease and were not taking antihypertensive medication. (Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions (elevated blood pressure, high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels) that occur together; thus, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.) They employed a statistical method known as a Markov model. A Markov model is a useful statistical tool for evaluating a risk that is continuous over time, when the timing of events is important, and when important events may happen more than once.

The authors note that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide; the 2004 death rate was estimated at 17.5 million individuals. The metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly prevalent because of rising rates of obesity and diabetes as well as an aging population. Lifestyle changes such as dietary modifications and behavioral adaptations constitute first line treatment in the prevention of diseases associated with the metabolic syndrome. Dietary modifications that increase the intake of vegetables, fruit, and grains as well as decrease the intake of saturated fats and refined sugars are recommended. It is believed that the high content of polyphenolic antioxidants in some fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and tea may contribute to their cardioprotective effects. Dark chocolate, derived from cocoa beans, is rich in polyphenols, specifically flavonoids. Flavonoids exhibit antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, and metabolic effects, all of which may contribute to their cardioprotective effect.

The authors reviewed published meta-analyses to evaluate the treatment effects associated with dark chocolate consumption. (A meta-analysis is a review of similar studies on the same topic to establish whether similar results were obtained.) The data were used to determine the absolute number of cardiovascular events with and without treatment with dark chocolate. The costs associated with cardiovascular events and treatments were applied to determine the potential amount of funding required for dark chocolate therapy to be considered cost-effective.

The researchers found that daily consumption of dark chocolate (polyphenol content equivalent to 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of dark chocolate) can reduce cardiovascular events by 85 per 10,000 individuals treated over 10 years. The cost of the chocolate was estimated to be $42 per person per year. The noted that these projected results assume 100% compliance and represent a best case scenario.

Source : http://emaxhealth.com//11306/dark-chocolate-reported-reduce-risk-cardiovascular-disease

American Herb with Asian Roots Effective Against Cancer-Related Fatigue, Mayo Study Shows

Chronic fatigue related to cancer is a common syndrome during and following cancer treatment that manifests as a constant lack of energy that is not brought on by exertion, nor relieved by sleep. While cancer-related fatigue is not a well understood problem that can be associated with any single cause, consensus by health authorities is that it is a multifactorial problem involving the body’s reaction to both chemotherapy and radiation therapy; anemia resulting from decreased red blood cells that leaves tissues oxygen starved; and/or a decrease of vital nutrients.

One proposed source of a centuries-old treatment for people suffering from fatigue similar to that experienced by cancer patients is the use of adaptogens. Adaptogens are a class of herbal remedies noted for their potency as stress fighters capable of either bringing an overly stressed body back to its normal healthy state or in coping with stressors such as physical exertion, toxins, lack of sleep and psychological distress.

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One of the more recognized—and believed to be most powerful adaptogen among all herbs—is the traditional Asian ginseng root. So much so, that American medical researchers are taking seriously the possibility that ginseng may have properties that can be applied in some treatments such as in treating chronic fatigue related to cancer.

The basis for pursuing studies that measure the effectiveness of ginseng is based on cancer related fatigue that has been linked to an increase in the immune system's inflammatory cytokines as well as poorly regulated levels of the stress-hormone cortisol. In animal studies, ginseng’s active components—ginsenosides—have been shown to reduce cytokines related to inflammation and involved in the control of cortisol levels.

In a recent Mayo Clinic-led study being presented this week at an 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, researchers report that high doses of the American ginseng herb Panax quinquefolius is effective in treating cancer related chronic fatigue.

In the study, 340 cancer patients either undergoing or having completed curative intent treatment and experiencing fatigue rated at least a 4 on a numeric analogue fatigue scale of 1-10, were randomly assigned treatment consisting of either a placebo or 2,000 milligrams of American ginseng daily. The administered American ginseng was provided in capsules containing pure, ground American ginseng root.

"Off-the-shelf ginseng is sometimes processed using ethanol, which can give it estrogen-like properties that may be harmful to breast cancer patients," says the study's lead researcher Debra Barton, Ph.D. of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.

During the first 4 weeks of the study, the ginseng regimen demonstrated only a slight improvement toward alleviating fatigue in the cancer patients. However, by week 8 there was statistically significant improvement in cancer patients who began to report feeling less fatigued in comparison to the cancer patients taking a placebo.

According to a news release by the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Barton states that, "After eight weeks, we saw a 20-point improvement in fatigue in cancer patients, measured on a 100-point, standardized fatigue scale. The herb had no apparent side effects,” she added.

Future follow-up studies will attempt to detect specific biomarkers linked to cancer-related chronic fatigue. "Cancer is a prolonged chronic stress experience and the effects can last 10 years beyond diagnosis and treatment," says Dr. Barton. "If we can help the body be better modulated throughout treatment with the use of ginseng, we may be able to prevent severe long-term fatigue."

For information on how exercise can treat chronic fatigue, follow this link to an informative article about the benefits of Yoga for breast cancer survivors.

Source : http://emaxhealth.com//8782/american-herb-asian-roots-effective-against-cancer-related-fatigue-mayo-study-shows