Three-quarters of middle schools have vending machines where snacks and sugared drinks are sold, a new study finds. The research demonstrates that there are vending machines in most middle schools, and “that those vending machines don’t always have the healthiest choices,” said study author Amy Virus, a registered dietitian with the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia.

My Take?

The weather is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter. As seasonal changes begin, it’s easy for people to get into a rut when it comes to dieting and exercise. And that rut can translate into extra pounds once the holiday parties start rolling around.

My Recommendations:

Reuters is reporting that a new rule requiring New York chain restaurants to post calorie information on their menus took effect on Friday, marking a first for a U.S. city. The move follows the city’s 2003 ban on public smoking and a ban on artery-clogging trans fats that began on July 1.

My Take?

Reuters Health is reporting a study in which researchers found that when they had 30 young women eat a lunch of pasta, tomatoes, and cheese, the diners consumed an average of 70 fewer calories when they ate the meal slowly and chewed the food thoroughly. The findings give scientific support to a long recommended weight-control tactic, the researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

 My Take?

Reuters Health is reporting on a UK study that suggests health experts generally recommend that children get at least one hour of moderate exercise each day. However, the study says this may not be enough to counter the problem of childhood obesity.

My Take?

Reuters Health is reporting a new program developed by the U.S. government that is tackling the obesity epidemic by helping “tween” girls and their parents make small but important changes to build a healthier lifestyle.

My Take?

WebMD is reporting findings by University of Miami researchers showing that by age 12 to 14, half of obese children have metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that predicts heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Even at ages 8 to 11, as many as 9.5% of obese children already have metabolic syndrome. That means they have at least three of these risk factors: abnormally large waist size, high blood-sugar levels, low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol, high blood fat levels, and high blood pressure .

My Take?

MedPage Today is reporting a study finding that many obese children with pre-diabetes will NOT be recogninzed using current testing technique – a fasting plasma glucose only.

Even scarier is the fact that nearly a quarter (24.3%) of the 173 obese children screened positive for pre-diabetes according to fasting plasma glucose AND a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test. While only 8.7% of the obese children were found to be pre-diabetic using fasting plasma glucose alone.

HealthDay News is reporting a story saying that erectile dysfunction could be an indicator of testosterone deficiency and the metabolic syndrome, a set of factors that may indicate an increased risk of heart and vascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

WebMD Health News reports a small study in which researchers have found that people who don’t get enough sleep often indulge in excessive snacking.

Results showed that when bedtimes were restricted to five-and-a-half hours, participants consumed an average of 1,087 calories a day from snacks alone. In contrast, they consumed 866 in calories from snacking when given eight-and-a-half hours to sleep.

USA Today also reports that parents are beginning to clean up their nutrition acts when it comes to the snacks they serve their children.

Fruit is the most common snack for children under 6, and cookies are second. In 1987, cookies ruled and fruit ranked second, according to findings from the NPD Group, a market research firm.

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