We have heard in the past that drinking fruit juice is just as bad as drinking soda, since even though it contains vitamins and minerals, it still has a high number of calories from sugar. Some even speculated that drinking too many calories is a major cause of childhood obesity. A new study suggests that this speculation is incorrect and that drinking juice does not necessarily contribute to excessive weight gain.

The study, conducted by Dr. Theresa A. Nicklas from the Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, looked at 3-5 year old children and found that, on average, they only consumed 4.7-oz of juice per day, which is well within the 4 to 6-oz. recommended by the US dietary guidelines. It also found that not even 10% of these kids drank as much milk (low-fat or skim, preferably) as they should. Regardless, even when the study participants drank more calories each day, "beverage consumption was not associated with [being] overweight."

Nicklas says that more studies are needed, but it is becoming clearer every day that there is no simple solution, no one food that can be eliminated, to the obesity problems that so many around the world are facing. Hopefully, everyone will stop trying to point fingers and, instead, actually try to help people overcome obesity in a real way.

The freshman 15 may be a myth, but college students still face a lot of challenges when it comes to eating healthy. Greasy foods, especially pizzas, seem to be everywhere as clubs and other organizations try to lure students into their meetings. It is tempting, and myth or not, a student can still gain more weight than they would like if they don't watch what they eat. Just keep a couple of tips in mind and you should emerge from your freshman year no heavier than when you entered it.

• Low fat yogurt is a great food to keep in the mini fridge. Yogurts come in so many flavors that you're unlikely to get bored with them, and they can be mixed with fresh fruits or even some granola for a change of pace. Yogurts also frequently go on sale, so stock up by buying at those times.
• Trail mix, GORP or any other combination of nuts and dried fruits is a good snack to have around. The nuts are healthy and filling, while the fruits add a sweetness. A handful or two should put a stop to any candy-bar cravings you might have.

While some may have gained some weight during their first year at college, new studies are showing that the phenomenon known as the "freshman 15" doesn't have much more than word-of-mouth behind it. The term first appeared in the mid 1980s in the Chicago Tribune, where the fact that it was a large enough number to inspire worry, but not so large that it seemed unbelievable, kept it going. So will students entering college really gain 15-pounds in their first year? A study from Rutgers that was published last month showed that 25% of students (Rutgers students) lost weight during their first year, while 75% gained an average of 7 pounds. "Nobody gained 15 pounds," said the professor behind the study.

Of course, some students will go overboard and binge on pizza and vending machine snacks without any supervision but their own, but many students will not. College eating halls are offering healthier options all the time, so students are more likely to see organic, vegetarian and vegan options, along with lean meats and plenty of healthy veggies, rather than just greasy, fried fare.

Perhaps the "freshman 15" is really just a reminder to try to keep kids on a healthier track and, if so, perhaps the fact that most students aren't seeing that kind of weight gain is reason enough to keep it going.

You can't go shopping anywhere these days without being bombarded by "Back to School" sales. Even my local grocery store has "back to school" type foods, like peanut butter and bulk cases of instant ramen, highlighted all over the store. Yes, it's August, and school starts in a few short weeks.

"Back to school" is also in the news, and an article I came across this morning talks about what colleges are now doing to help students avoid the dreaded Freshman 15 - the 15 or so pounds that newly-away-from-home students gain because they're too busy studying to pay attention to what they're eating. Either that, or they're just indulging in pizza beer because they were never allowed to at home.

My freshman year in college, my weight gain was closer to a Freshman 20. Decked out in sweats and overalls about 90% of the time, I didn't really notice the weight gain until Spring. Twenty pounds crept up on me over two semesters at Cal from a simple daily diet of sugar-laden smoothies, Zona Rosa Burritos (I went to Cal), Top Dog, instant ramen, and study break "dates" during final exam fever eating pan-fried noodles drowning in starchy, sugary sauce at late night Chinese joints. But I know that if I had to blame it all one one thing, it would be Fat Slice Pizza.

I've confessed - 20 pounds of fat gained from Fat Slice Pizza. Now it's your turn. What was the real Freshman 15 for you? And how did you get there? "Free" dorm cafeteria food, laden with starch? $1.99 bacon, sausage, and eggs every morning before Econ 101? Beer? Candy? Spill it.

More on college food:
The Eupa Mini Grill is better than George Foreman
Iron your way to a grilled cheese sandwich
Making Osso Bucco in a dorm
Attention starving students! Ramen Taste Test
UC Berkeley offers organic salad bar
Eight college dorm food memories

According to a report in the British Medical Journal, the number of people in China who are now officially classified as overweight and/or obese has risen and continues to rise at what they say is "an alarming rate," which is especially shocking since China was once seen as a "lean" country. For a population that accounts for one-fifth of the entire world's population, 14.7% were overweight, 2.6% were obese, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has increased as well.

The reasons for the increased obesity are the same in China as they are here in the US: changes to traditional diet, reduced levels of physical activity, and a more sedentary lifestyle.

So you cut down on sodas because everyone is telling everyone that America's obesity problem stems from drinking too much soda. In its place, you're drinking fruit juice, because it's juice, and we all know that juice from fruit is good for you, right?

Well, maybe not, according to Dr. Robert H. Lustig, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco and director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Clinic.

Lustig says that people misunderstand juice - they believe juice is good for health and that it's natural. However, Lustig believes that these perceptions are not only incorrect, but, like soda, are contributing to childhood obesity. "Drinking juice - even if it says "100% natural" - is no better than drinking soda" and in fact, he believes that juice is actually worse than soda because there are more calories per ounce in juice, about 170 calories in a 12 oz. serving, than in soda, about 150 calories for the same serving size.

Hm. I guess that means we're back to water.

Just as in so many other places around the world, obesity is on the rise in Japan. While some nutritionists are advocating that people follow a Japanese diet to lose weight, many in Japan are eating more foods more of the time, including traditional foods in addition to junk foods. 24% of Japanese over the age of 15 are overweight or obese and the number is rising. The same pattern can be seen in children, where 10% are obese or at risk for becoming obese. Children are more likely than their parents and grandparents to indulge in a diet of hamburgers and french fries on a regular basis, though the highest obesity statistics are seen among middle-aged men.

 

 

One is every five calories in the American diet comes from a liquid and the biggest component of that set of liquids is soda. Groups of researchers are now working to prove that such sugary drinks are the leading cause of obesity. This isn’t to say that there aren’t other factors at play here, including genetics and overall health, but if soda is reliably shown to be one of the largest contributing factors it could radically change the soda market. Some scientists working on the project hope to see warning labels on cans of soda that are similar to the warnings on cigarette packages.

Others believe that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to prove this theory. Obesity has only recently been considered a disease and it is a disease with a plethora of diverse symptoms and causes. Pinpointing one factor at this stage may not be realistic. This is especially true if researchers really hope to model their campaign against the “empty calories” of soda on the campaign against tobacco products, which took decades to achieve results.

A study was done recently that concluded that obesity might be contagious. This conclusion was extrapolated from data that showed an increase in the weight of chickens who had been exposed to the human adenovirus Ad-37. Adenoviruses can cause colds and other illnesses in humans. The reasoning seems to follow this line of thought: Chickens, when exposed to a particular, contagious human virus, got fat . Since it is a human virus, humans who catch this virus will get fat. Since the virus is contagious, it follows that obesity is contagious.

So is obesity only contagious when the carrier of the virus has a cold? Can you catch it from sitting next to someone on an airplane? To say that this line of reasoning is flawed is an understatement. It is simply incorrect.

Simply because a cold can cause a chicken (or a human, for that matter) to gain weight does not mean that all weight gain is caused by colds in general or this virus in particular. Nor does it mean that because colds are contagious, so is weight gain. Someone needs to retake their deductive reasoning courses.

 

Did you know that McDonald's is more profitable in France than any other European country? With over 1 million French men and women eating there every day, it is hardly surprising. It also is not surprising that the "French paradox," the term applied to the idea that the French are famous for eating rich and fatty foods without gaining a significant amount of weight, is falling by the "weigh"-side.

According to the New York Times, the adult obesity rate in France is rising steadily at about 6% per year, but the children's obesity rate is nearly triple that rate. With the nation currently reporting 42% of its population as overweight or obese - compared to 65% of the US population - France may meet or exceed the US rates in as few as 10 years.