Eat Together, Eat Better

Posted by & filed under Featured, Sucralose.

By: Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND —

Yes, it’s true! When families eat together, they eat better. Specifically, kids who eat with their families eat more fruits and vegetables. Plus, they’re more likely to be at a healthful weight and less likely to engage in disordered eating. But that’s not all. Meal time is an important time for the entire family to connect. Research tells us that when teens eat regularly with their families, the teens are at lower risk of using drugs, have better mental health and feel more connected at home. Kids tend to do better in school too!

As hard as it was to put a family dinner on the table most nights, I wouldn’t have traded this important time for anything. It brought my family closer together, and it helped shape my girls’ values. They also learned about good basic nutrition. Today they know that fruits and vegetables are part of a balanced meal, that they should eat only until they are no longer hungry, and that it’s fun to try new foods and recipes.

Have More Family Meals

  • Get everyone onboard. Talk to your family about the obstacles that get in the way of having more family meals. For some families, it’s as simple as clearing the kitchen table of papers and mail.
  • Be organized. Plan a meal and shop for groceries.
  • Make it fun. Keep the TV off. Have a theme night now and then. Try Taco Tuesday, or have an indoor picnic on the floor. Practice using chopsticks with Asian food, and light candles for a fancy meal.
  • Strike up a conversation. Once a week or so, ask everyone to be prepared to share the highlight of their day, or a worry, a wish they have for the future, or something funny that happened.
  • Get everyone involved. Plan the menu together, or let family members take turns picking recipes. Let older kids shop for groceries and younger ones set the table or count out the right number of forks, napkins or ingredients for a recipe.

Collect Recipes

You may already have favorite recipes passed down through the generations. If you do, keep adding to this collection. If not, start collecting right away. Here are a few that your family is sure to love.

Sharing a meal together is a sure way to bring your family closer together and to instill good eating habits. It’s worth the effort. I promise.

Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND has worked as both a nutrition counselor and a diabetes educator in the hospital and research settings, and now in private practice in Newport News, VA. Jill is the author of Diabetes Weight Loss – Week by Week and two upcoming books, The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition and 21 Things You Need to Know about Diabetes and Your Heart. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Diabetes Association. Jill is a paid advisor for the Calorie Control Council. Follow Jill on Twitter @NutritionJill and find more at www.JillWeisenberger.com.

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Childhood Obesity: What Should Clinicians Do To Address Body Weight Shaming?

Posted by & filed under Children, Health Professionals, Obesity, Research Summaries.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and The Obesity Society have published the policy statement “Stigma Experienced by Children and Adolescents with Obesity” and commentary which provides perspective on “Addressing Weight Stigma and Opening Doors for a Patient-Centered Approach to Childhood Obesity”.

With obesity being the chronic condition that American children face, it is essential that efforts to help children and adults achieve and maintain healthy weight address the stigma of weight. Unfortunately, weight-based victimization, teasing, and bullying by parents, family members, healthcare professionals, social media, and the general public can present challenges when addressing the issue. While some believe stigmatizing a child will motivate them to lose weight, children may experience indirect negative health outcomes from behaviors such as binge eating, social isolation, avoiding healthcare and decreasing physical activity that can result in a reduced quality of life. In the policy statement, Pont, et al., noted “Weight stigma poses numerous consequences for the psychological and physical health of children and adolescents, including adverse outcomes that may reinforce unhealthy behaviors that promote obesity and weight gain.” In the commentary, Kyle, et al., also recognized the negative impact of stigma on parents and families including reduced action as parents tend to be blamed for a child’s growth and weight. In response, blame may proliferate and families may avoid healthcare providers.

The policy statement provides the following recommendations to address weight stigma in clinical practice:

  1. Role Modeling: Professional behavior with colleagues, staff, and trainees should be supportive and nonbiased toward children and families. The complex etiology of obesity, including genetic and socioeconomic factors, environmental contributors, community assets, family and cultural traditions, and individual choices should be acknowledged.
  2. Language and Word Choice: Health practitioners should use appropriate, sensitive, and non-stigmatizing language when communicating about weight including objectively discussing weight rather than labeling a patient.
  3. Clinical Documentation: Obesity has real health consequences, so it is important to address the diagnosis in a balanced, sensitive, and supportive manner while helping children and families to understand the current and future health risks associated with excess weight.
  4. Behavior Change Counseling: Patient-centered approaches to behavior change should be used to determine goals and address barriers in achieving sustained health behavior change.
  5. Clinical Environment: Clinic spaces should be safe, welcoming, and non-stigmatizing for youth and their families.
  6. Behavioral Health Screening: Clinicians should assess for physical and emotional comorbidities and negative exposures.

The policy also provides four additional recommendations for advocating against bullying in schools, in youth-targeted media, by parents and by professionals. The authors conclude by stating, “Obesity is a challenging disease to treat. Many factors are at play, and many of these factors are difficult to effectively address during a short office encounter. The challenges healthcare professionals may face regarding obesity can affect interactions with patients and unintentionally communicate stigma, blame, or judgment when attempting to increase patient motivation for change. Unfortunately, evidence shows these approaches likely impair rather than improve health behaviors and weight outcomes.” It is noted that concerted efforts to reduce weight stigma can help empower patients to improve their weight-related health.

Find out more about addressing weight with your patients here.

More information for parents including tips for managing your child’s sweet tooth, meals for busy families, and family habits and numerous recipes are available.

When the Doctor Becomes the Coach: Helping Patients with Weight Management and their Health

Posted by & filed under Health Professionals.

By: Keri Peterson, MD —

As a primary care physician, one of the most common issues I address with patients is how to manage their weight.  According to a Harris Poll conducted for the Calorie Control Council among over 2,000 U.S. adults, 72 percent of Americans want to lose weight and on average want to lose 38 pounds.  This presents many challenges to physicians for a variety of reasons.  Achieving weight loss and then maintaining it is very difficult.  According to the same Harris Poll, only 14 percent of people who have successfully lost weight have been able to keep it off for more than five years.  The National Weight Loss Registry notes modifying food intake and increasing physical activity as common changes made by individuals that successfully lose weight and maintain that loss.

Time constraint is one limitation for physicians.  Obtaining a food diary and reviewing it is critical to understanding and counseling a patient on where to make modifications.  This takes time and patience.  One incentive to be aware of is that Medicare reimburses a number of lifestyle and weight management codes.  A few descriptions and coverage areas include intensive behavioral therapy for obesity which is a face-to-face behavioral counseling by a primary care physician (PCP) in a primary care setting for 15 minutes for patients with obesity.  They will cover up to one visit per week in month one and one visit every other week for months two through six.  Another is intensive behavioral therapy to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.  This can be used for adults with well-known cardiovascular disease risk factors.

One of the perceptions among patients is that diet pills will help patients achieve sustainable weight loss, be it by “kickstarting” the process or getting the weight off and believing they will figure out a maintenance plan afterwards The Harris Poll found that 11 percent use dietary supplements to achieve weight management goals.  Interestingly, adults aged 18-44 are more than three times as likely to use them as their older counterparts.  This may be in part due to side effects of appetite suppressants such as elevation of blood pressure that are prohibitive to those with hypertension who tend to be older.  It may also be due to the realization that they do not work to maintain goal weight over long periods of time.

A recent editorial (“Counting Calories as an Approach to Achieve Weight Control”) in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) eloquently discussed how important it is to teach patients that by modestly reducing calories, they can lose weight.

Dr. Eve Guth, author of the editorial, points out that it takes a net deficit of 3500 calories per week to lose one pound.  (Click here to access the article – subscription required). That is a pragmatic way to explain it to patients and one that I have utilized with success in my practice as well.  It gives patients a concrete formula to follow- if I eat 500 calories less per day or burn 500 calories more per day then I will lose one pound a week.  This can be as simple as swapping out 40 ounces of full sugar sodas for low calorie sweetened beverages or water.

Another barrier is the strong cultural role that food plays in diet.  Various ethnicities routinely have certain carbohydrate laden caloric foods as part of their daily meal such as rice, beans or pasta and bread.  When the entire family sits down to a meal these foods are invariably on the table and are difficult to resist.  In this scenario, rather than asking the patient to cut out the food altogether, portion control is a more realistic option.

We as physicians can play a pivotal role in tackling the obesity epidemic for our patients through encouraging them to make healthier choices. Physicians also play a critical role in identifying other healthcare professionals such as dietitians, exercise professionals, and nursing professionals that provide critical expertise and can support a patient as they address the multi-faceted aspects of obesity and chronic diseases. The question is are we up to the challenge?

Keri Peterson MDKeri Peterson, MD is a medical contributor and columnist for Women’s Health and a frequent guest on NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America, Fox News and CNN. Based in New York City, Dr. Peterson has been in private practice since 1999 and holds appointments at Lenox Hill Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center.   With a BA from Cornell University and a Medical Degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, she completed post-graduate training in Internal Medicine at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center and is board certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Peterson is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association, and serves as a medical advisor for the Calorie Control Council.

3 Healthy Habits that Aren’t Just for Weight Loss

Posted by & filed under Lifestyle Articles, Sucralose, Weight Management.

By: Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND —

It’s common for dieters to bump up their exercise, trim portions, eat more low-calorie foods and make other positive lifestyle changes. But should people who aren’t worrying with their weight make these changes? Here are three healthy living strategies worth doing whether we want to lose weight or not.

Healthy Habit #1: Move!

Exercise does far more than burn calories. Yes, it does help manage weight, but even without weight loss, exercise improves insulin resistance and decreases markers of chronic inflammation. Regular exercise is associated with reduced risks of heart disease, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and more. It strengthens bones and muscles, improves mood and increases your chances of living both longer and healthier.[i] [ii] So how much exercise is necessary? Guideline #1 is any exercise (even 5 minutes) is better than none.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following for healthy adults:

  • 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week
  • At least two muscle-strengthening sessions each week that cover legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms

And don’t forget to be active between exercise sessions. Long periods of sedentary behavior are also unhealthful.

Healthy Habit #2: Cut Back on Added Sugars

A mere tablespoon of added sugar or honey contributes 45 – 60 calories, which can add up fast for anyone watching calories. But excessive added sugars are linked to poor health in ways other than weight gain. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.[iii] Added sugars may contribute to elevated triglycerides and other metabolic abnormalities. Sucralose is a good option, as it provides no calories.

Healthy Habit #3: Load Up on Non-starchy Vegetables

Non-starchy vegetables like carrots, kale and cauliflower add only about 20 or so calories per ½ cup. Plus, they’re very filling, making them a calorie counter’s good friend. But these nutritional powerhouses are so much more. They provide fiber, potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamins A, C and K. And they’re brimming with health-boosting phytochemicals, natural plant compounds that interact with other nutrients to shield us from disease. A healthy diet rich in vegetables is linked to lower blood pressure and healthier hearts. It lowers the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes and several cancers too. The federal government’s MyPlate recommends that adults eat at least two to three cups of vegetables daily.

Take steps today to improve your chances for living a long, happy, healthy life. Take a walk, eat vegetables with every lunch and dinner and cut back on added sugars.

Resources
[i] CDC guidelines on exercise: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/  
[ii] Sedentary Behaviors and Subsequent Health Outcomes in Adults Thorp AA, Owen N, Neuhaus M, and Dunstan DW
[iii] American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp

Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND has worked as both a nutrition counselor and a diabetes educator in the hospital and research settings, and now in private practice in Newport News, VA. Jill is the author of Diabetes Weight Loss – Week by Week and two upcoming books, The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition and 21 Things You Need to Know about Diabetes and Your Heart. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Diabetes Association. Jill is a paid contributor to Sucralose.org. Follow Jill on Twitter @NutritionJill and find more at www.JillWeisenberger.com.

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Bite Into a Healthy Lifestyle

Posted by & filed under Aspartame, Healthy Lifestyle, Lifestyle Articles.

According to Sonja Connor, registered dietitian nutritionist and president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Achieving optimal health is not about a specific food or time or year, but rather a life-long commitment that leaves plenty of time for the foods and activities we love.”

To get started on a healthy lifestyle, consider these three tips that will allow you enjoy a variety of foods and activities you love.

Pare Portions

Nutritious eating doesn’t mean giving up your favorites. By eating a smaller portion you can save calories but still have the same great taste. For example:

  • Choose kid’s fries (100 calories) over large fries (500 calories) at a quick-service restaurant
  • Opt for half a large bagel (130 calories) over a whole bagel (260 calories)
  • Eat a 3 oz. lean sirloin steak (160 calories) instead of 6 oz. (320 calories)

 Make a Simple Substitution

Try a similar food that will provide the same taste and texture but with less fat, sugar and calories.

  • Substitute 4 chocolate kisses (88 calories) for large candy bar (210 calories)
  • Have a light yogurt flavored with a low-cal sweetener like aspartame (130 calories) rather than a low-fat sweetened fruit yogurt (225 calories)
  • Enjoy a grilled chicken breast with a spice rub (120 calories) to replace a fried one (360 calories)

 Get Moving

Being more active to burn extra calories doesn’t mean you have to jog or sweat in a gym. There are a variety of fun activities you can do by yourself or with family and friends.

  • Go dancing on the weekends
  • Dance around the house to the radio or iPod
  • Sign up for a yoga or zumba class or get DVDs to work out at home
  • Play with your kids at the park or in the yard; walk the dog 15 minutes twice a day

So you see, a healthy lifestyle isn’t about deprivation but moderation. Go ahead, pick up your fork and enjoy yourself!

 

 

 


Neva Cochran, MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Dallas. She was a freelancer with Woman’s World magazine for 20 years and currently serves as a nutrition communications consultant to a variety of food and nutrition organizations, including the Calorie Control Council. She is passionate about promoting fact-based food and nutrition information to help people enjoy nutritious eating. Follow her on Twitter @NevaRDLD and check out her blog at www.NevaCochranRD.com.

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A Skinny Feast for St. Patty’s Day

Posted by & filed under Aspartame, Recipe Roundup, Recipes, St. Patrick's Day.

Will the luck o’ the Irish be with you this St. Patrick’s day as you try to keep from eating too many calories while enjoying traditional Irish fare? The good news is healthy eating doesn’t have to mean forgoing flavor and fun.

Speaking of flavor, March is also National Nutrition Month® and this year’s theme is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.” An annual campaign of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, its registered dietitian nutritionist members encourage everyone to take time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, great flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives. And St. Patrick’s Day is a perfect way to start. Read on to learn how a few simple changes can translate into calorie savings without sacrificing flavor.

Scrumptious Stew

Traditional Irish stew is made with lamb and root vegetables like potatoes, carrots and onion. It’s easy to trim fat and calories by using lean beef like bottom round for a beef stew with only 280 calories per serving. To reduce sodium use low-sodium broth and half the salt and add a little more onion and garlic, aromatic vegetables that boost flavor.

Delightful Drinks

While Irish whiskey and green beer may be popular St. Patrick’s Day drinks, you can opt for a nearly calorie-free choice by adding a few drops of green food coloring to tangy low-calorie lemonade. It’s refreshing, hydrating and one glass provides 15 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C intake. Or create a low-calorie Irish coffee by stirring a 1/2 tsp. brandy or rum flavoring and a packet of aspartame into a hot cup of coffee. Top with a dollop of fat-free whipped topping.

Decadent Dessert

Legend has it that St. Patrick planted a number of apple trees in Ireland so it’s no surprise that apples take center stage in a variety of Irish dishes from apple crumb cake and apple-potato bake to pork loin with roasted apples. So how about serving delicious apple cranberry strudel bites or baked apples to finish off your St. Patrick’s Day meal?

No matter what day of the year it is, you can savor the flavor of eating right by substituting low-calorie sweeteners for sugar in beverages and recipes and reducing sodium by using less salt and lower sodium canned goods in recipes while boosting flavor with aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices.

National Nutrition Month® is a federally registered service mark of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.


Neva Cochran, MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Dallas. She serves as a nutrition communications consultant to a variety of food and nutrition organizations, including the Calorie Control Council. She is passionate about promoting fact-based food and nutrition information to help people enjoy nutritious eating. Follow her on Twitter @NevaRDLD and check out her blog at www.NevaCochranRD.com.

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