"twins" news and stories

Back in 2004, Mary Kate Olsen had to undergo treatment for an eating disorder, an experience that made her take a closer look at her life and at nutrition. Her reps say that she is healthy now and that she and her sister, Ashley, are hoping to expand their media empire with a new TV show: Sportee Kids. The show will be targeted at 4-6 year olds and will be about fitness (games) and healthy eating.

There is no word on the exact format yet, but I'm picturing something like Sesame Street with food. And probably with nutrition experts and the occasional sports star.

Though some people in the media seem awfully cynical about this, I think it sounds like a great idea. Not only will it give kids something educational to watch on TV, but the messages learned from a show about nutrition are things that might help them make good choices throughout their lives. And even though MK had an eating disorder, she has had lots of time and many doctors instill strong messages in her about proper nutrition and living a healthy life since that time. Helping other people to eat healthy is a great project that can keep people with a history of eating problems on the right track. Unlike the naysayers, I don't think that the Olsens - who are very popular with the under-10 market - will have anything but a positive impact with their show.

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There has been a 75% increase in the "twinning" rate since 1980 and a new study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine is saying that it has to do with dairy consumption. In a study that compared omnivores, lacto-vegetarians and vegans, omnivores were the most likely to have twins. The scientists attributed this to the fact that they had much higher levels of  insulin-like growth factor (IGF) in their bloodstream, and that those levels, which were also lowest in the vegan women, directly corresponded to the likelihood of having twins.

Common sense should tell you that humans have been consuming animal products - including dairy - for thousands of years. A change in the birthrate over the last two decades is indicative of something that happened in the last several decades, not with dairy in general. And, in fact, the physician in charge of the study noted that the increase "may also be a consequence of the introduction of growth-hormone treatment of cows to enhance their milk and beef production." This seems like a logical explanation, since it offers a reason why dairy may now be having an effect on the birth rate of twins.

Doctors in the study suggested that women consider non-animal protein sources during their pregnancies to help decrease the risks associated with multiple births. It sounds like they should be recommending that women increase their non-animal diet before becoming pregnant, as well.

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