Archive for the ‘fast food’ Category

Children in Minority Groups Have Higher Risk of Obesity

Monday, March 1st, 2010

BGRacial minority groups – such as blacks and Hispanics – are higher in almost every risk factor for childhood obesity.

Major predictors of childhood obesity include having an obese mother, eating solid foods before four months of age, stopping breast-feeding too soon, and over consumption of fast food.

Writing in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found minority children were more inclined to have these risks factors than their white counterparts.

But the scientists report that these issues can be resolved early on by changing behaviors; a biggie being counseling women to breast feed longer.

Minority groups in the United States are typically pegged with higher rates of obesity; previous  studies claim Mexican Americans have a 38% obesity, blacks 34.9%, and whites 30.7%.

As a layman, I contend distribution of wealth and socio-economic status contribute to all this – sad to say.

Via HealthDay News.

Image credit: Pro Pay America

Eating Slowly Helps Curb Appetite

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

HOTDOGSDevouring a hamburger inside of ten seconds might be a good party trick, but eating too quickly may cause you to eat more, while taking it easy helps slow down your hunger.

New research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggests speed-eating may block the body’s natural appetite-control system.

In the study, scientists pitted 17 men against some ice cream in two trials.

First, participants ate two servings of ice cream over 5 minutes. And later, the men were asked to eat ice cream over 30 minutes.

After the experiments, men did not have different feelings of fullness and hunger from one trial to another, but after eating slowly, participants showed higher blood levels of peptides—a type of hormone—that control hunger.

Both peptides signal the brain to cut appetite, and stop calorie intake.

Researchers say the findings have major implications for people who eat a lot of fast food, and provides more reason for people to slow down when they eat.

Via Reuters.

Image credit: Dr. Robyn Silverman