Tahlia's Vitamins Journal

Jan. 13, 2010 – U.S. obesity rates are leveling off for most kids and
adults, new CDC figures suggest.

It does not mean we are getting thinner, although it may mean we're nearly
as fat as we can get.

The sad numbers, according to CDC researchers Katherine M. Flegal, PhD,
Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD, and colleagues:

12.6% of teens ages 12-19 are obese by adult standards.

17% of school-age kids are obese
by child standards.

34% of adults — 32% of women and 35.5% of men — are obese.
68% of adults — two-thirds of us — are overweight or obese.

The good news is that the rise in obesity seems to be leveling off for
children and for women. The same thing seems to be happening in men, although
the leveling off has been too recent for the CDC to call it a plateau.

Bucking the trend are the very heaviest 6- to 19-year-old boys, who are
getting even heavier.

That any of this seems like good news is, well, not good news.

“The results presented here indicate that the prevalence of high body-mass
index in childhood has remained steady for 10 years and has not declined,” the
CDC researchers note. “The prevalence of obesity in the United States continues
to be high, exceeding 30% in most sex and age groups.”

The findings appear in two papers in the Journal of the American Medical
Association. In an editorial accompanying the papers, J. Michael Gaziano,
MD, MPH, a contributing editor of the journal, says we've entered a new and
ominous age of public health.

Gaziano says there have been four previous eras:

The age of pestilence and famine dominated most of human history.
The age of receding pandemics happened in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries.
The age of degenerative and man-made diseases emerged in the mid-20th
century.
The age of delayed degenerative diseases began in the 1960s as people began
to quit smoking and as technological advances delayed heart deaths.

Now, he says, we're in the age of obesity and physical inactivity.

What can be done? Gaziano and the CDC say it's no longer just up to
individuals. They recommend we look at our built environment — and our food
environment — and make big changes in the things that make it easy for us to
consume empty calories and hard for us to exercise.

Surprising
Reasons Why You're Gaining Weight

Relevant Posts: Nordic Naturals Fish Oil

Everyone is aware that certain food groups are especially healthy. These include legumes, vegetables, fruit, fish, pulses and more. They are particularly good for the heart.

However, it is also quite well known that some individual foodstuffs are extremely good for the heart. This is a list of some of the best:

1. Oily fish are packed with Omega 3. The best are salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna and trout.

2. Asparagus has folic acid, which aids in preventing the narrowing of the blood vessels in your legs.

3. Chilli peppers can help to thin the blood, which enhances your circulation.

4. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, which are able to thin the blood and which also contain cholesterol-lowering properties.

5. Almonds are full of protein, not to mention fibre and Vitamin E. Of course, they also contain fat, so don't eat too many.

6. Spinach has lots of potassium, which has shown some impressive blood circulation and stroke-reducing abilities.

7. Olive oil can help to control bad LDL cholesterol, while raising the amounts of good HDL.

8. Ginger has the ability to aid your circulation, which means that it is less likely that you will end up with a blood clot.

9. Black pepper is another antioxidant. In addition, it can help with your digestion.

10. Cranberries have the ability to ward off strokes. It is also believed that they possess some cancer-fighting ability.

11. Garlic is able to reduce your cholesterol and your blood pressure.

12. Red wine, when drunk in moderation, has the ability to add chromium, which helps to regulate the cholesterol in your blood.

13. Bananas are packed with potassium, which can help you to keep your blood pressure healthy, as well as reducing strokes.

14. Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which has the ability to lower cholesterol.

Reference: Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil

Similar Articles: Dr Sears Fish Oil

A recent outbreak of E. coli has infected 21 people in 16 states. This time the culprit is beef that was shipped to various restaurants throughout the Midwest and western United States. The beef was chopped, which increases the surface area, allowing for bacteria, like E. coli, to penetrate the internal portions of the food products. When that part of the food isn't cooked thoroughly (as is common with beef), the bacteria isn't killed and can cause foodborne illness.

The concern for bacteria in ground meat is one reason why most restaurants won't serve hamburgers rare, like they will do with steaks. However, some restaurants may use mechanically tenderized steaks that have been injected with tenderizing fluids. It's important to know that this process can also lead to bacterial contamination of meat.

Daily Nutrition Tip

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Credit: LilliDay  |  © istockphoto.com/ LilliDay

Chamomile tea is probably one of the best selling infusion tea flavors on the US market. Tea made from the chamomile plant has a subtle, sweet taste and is believed to have stress reducing qualities. Of course, some of the stress reduction might just be due to the relaxing benefit of
 sipping a hot beverage, but chamomile gets most of the credit.It is widely believed that drinking a cup of chamomile tea in the afternoon can greatly reduce feelings of stress, but what if you find yourself stuck at the office and unable to obtain a hot cup of that magic elixir? Chamomile is also available in melting oral tablets from companies like 1-800homeopathy.com, and can be found in many health-food stores. Local pharmacies often carry chamomile supplements in capsule form that you swallow with water. Chamomile is so renowned for its calming effects that Hyland's Homeopathy offers teething tablets for babies that feature the plant.Well, reputation is one thing, but proof positive is another. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate herbal supplements and homeopathic medicines, and it is difficult to find a scientific study proving the calming benefits of chamomile. To that end, I will offer my own experience.The use of chamomile tablets was suggested to me after the birth of my son, by a Certified Nurse Midwife. I regularly took two capsules of chamomile in the morning, then would take the recommended dose of oral tablets in the afternoon. As I have always been a hot tea drinker, drinking chamomile tea was already a habit.I found that using the oral tablets seemed to help reduce stress almost immediately. For a new mother with a colicky baby, that was a huge relief. However, taking chamomile did not completely relieve my stress. Months of sleeplessness still took their toll, though I took as much chamomile as I felt comfortable with. As for using chamomile to sooth a teething or colicky baby, our son seemed to have the same result that I did. Taking chamomile would sooth him quickly, but the benefits were short-lived.