Health News

REPORTING POINT 02/10
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...Live well”
Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.
by Larry Kline

HIGH INTAKE OF VITAMIN D REDUCES RISK OF DISABILITY FOR SENIORS – a Dutch study found that among people over 65, those with low blood levels of vitamin D were three times more likely to end up in a nursing home than those with high levels. Not only does this vitamin help keep bones strong, it also helps prevent falls in older people by maintaining muscle strength, especially in the lower legs, and has been linked to other health benefits. The government recommendation for people age 50 to 70 is 400 IU a day; for those over 70, it is 600 IU a day. But for those over 60, the newer research suggests that intake of 800 to 1000 IU a day is likely to be more beneficial. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/06.

AN UNWELCOME ADDITIVE – German scientists found that rats that were fed high amounts of monosodium glutamate (MSG) – a flavoring agent found in many foods – ate twice the daily calories of those given none. The researchers speculate that MSG damages appetite-regulating sensors in the brain. For comparison on a human scale, the rats’ intake of MSG was just slightly higher than amounts found in our everyday food. MSG is most commonly added to processed meats, such as hot dogs, bologna, and sausage. MSG may also be listed on food labels as hydrolyzed vegetable protein or hydrolyzed whey protein.
The last four decades has seen worldwide production of MSG increase four-fold. Men’s Health 8/08, Food Safety: Natural Flavorings on Meat and Poultry Labels, USDA.

BEING OVERWEIGHT INCREASES RISK OF PREMATURE DEATH – by 20 to 40 percent in healthy people who have never smoked, while being obese boosts the risk 100 to 200 percent, according to a major study of more than 500,000 members of AARP and published in the New England journal of Medicine. A large Korean study in the same journal had similar findings. These results contradict a much-disputed CDC study which suggested that people who are only slightly or moderately overweight do not face a higher risk. For someone 5’8” tall, overweight is defined as 165 to 196 pounds, and obese is 197 and over. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 12/06.

WATCH THAT FISH TANK – an Australian study found the bacteria Salmonella in more than half of all fish tanks. Fish excrete the scourge, as always wash your hands after handling, keep tanks away from food-prep zones, and change water outdoors, if possible. Men’s Health 7/06.

WHY DO PEOPLE OVEREAT? according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention),in 1990, 10 states in the United States had an obesity rate less than 10 percent and no states had a rate over 15 percent. In 1998, no states had a prevalence of less than 10 percent, seven states had obesity rates between 20 percent and 24 percent, with no states over 25 percent. In 2008 only one state had an obesity rate less than 20 percent (Colorado), 32 states had a rate over 25 percent, and six of those states had a rate over 30 percent (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.)
We are in an obesity epidemic! As with all epidemics, one of the main goals to fight the epidemic is to find the cause. There are multiple factors that can be related to cause, including lack of exercise as a foremost reason. However, this article will concentrate on answering the question: “Why did I have the second piece of pumpkin pie after that huge turkey dinner and why do we over eat??”
First of all there are many influencing factors that make us want to eat. Even though the basic primal urge to eat is dictated by an actual feeling of hunger, which is the body’s way of letting us know we need food for energy and to meet our physical needs, this is only one factor (and in this day and age, a very small factor.)
Appetite is affected by not only the basic physical needs, but also by multiple other factors including:
Sight (if you see a commercial for ice cream)
Sound (bacon cooking on the stove)
Smell (walking by a bakery
Emotions and Memory (Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma’s house.)
Timing: It takes approximately 20 minutes for your body to start digesting food and to let you know you are getting full. If you eat quickly, you continue to eat long after you have this response)
Volume: the more volume you take in, the sooner you feel full: a whole apple is much more filling than an equivalent 1/3 cup of apple juice)
Food availability (if you have to hunt for you food, you will eat much less than you would if you just have to reach in front of you for “seconds”.
In addition to these factors, there are multiple Chemical Reactions in your body which influence appetite.
Specific components of food can cause different reactions.
Fat: Studies reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009 showed that when fat enters the small intestine, chemicals called cholecystokinin and peptide YY are released and suppress appetite. On the other hand, obese individuals may have an impaired chemical response and this trigger will not work. Additional studies found that exposing rats to higher fat diets early in life led to an increase in fat intake and preference for high fat food later in life. They found that the higher fat diet increased the response of a chemical called dopamine in your body. Increases in dopamine are associated with neurological changes and increased feelings of pleasure and also the ability to focus on and remember that feeling.
Sugar: Studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 3/03 and 10/03) found sugar also increases the dopamine response and other neurochemicals which increase the sense of pleasure and need for these substances (similar to the response seen with some drugs in drug abuse)
Salt: a study published in Medical Hypotheses 2009 also describes the neurochemical reactions that occur with the intake of salt. These changes are similar to an opiate agonist producing a sense of reward, urge, or craving in the body for more salt which drives overeating and weight gain. So what happens if you combine sugar and fat or fat and salt … or all three?? You have much higher dopamine spikes and chemical reactions with more craving and urges to overeat!

SO WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS???
Some people are more susceptible genetically to these reactions and some have more control over them so be aware that even though one person may find it easy to stop eating, others have more challenges.
There are many things we can all do, however, that will help control the over eating.
First, remember, this chemical response is only one of many that trigger appetite. We can concentrate on the other factors:
Timing: Remember, it takes 20 minutes after you start eating to feel full so eat SLOWLY! Put your fork or spoon on the table and release your hand every time you take a bite of food. Count the number of times you chew each mouthful of food: start with 20 chews per bite. Make sure you are the last one to finish so you are not tempted to keep eating to “be polite.”
Volume: Eat foods with fiber. Fiber makes you feel full faster. Raw fruits and vegetables and whole grain breads, rice, and pasta contain fiber. Drink lots of liquid (water or low calorie beverages) before, during and after you eat. Liquid takes up space and makes you feel full as well and also helps the fiber work. (Eating soup or salad before the entrée is a good way to fill up on “water foods” that will help curb appetite and consume less calories-LK)
Food Availability: Don’t buy or have those rich, high-calorie foods available! If you really need something; buy one portion only! Don’t offer seconds at a meal. Only put the food you are going to eat on the table. If you make extra, put it away before you eat.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT THESE CHEMICAL REACTIONS????
Choose food lower in fat, sugar, and salt. If you do want to “cheat” a little now and then, choose low fat sweets, low sugar and low salt foods that have a modest amount of fat. There are so many choices today that these are easy to find.
If you still find you are not losing or continue to gain weight, then increase EXERCISE!!! Christine Kline R.D.