Urine Test May ID Unhealthy Diets

(HealthDay News) -- Someday, a doctor's office assessment of the overall quality of your diet may come from a simple $8 urine test, researchers report.

Levels of urinary potassium correlate closely with nutrition in general, said study author Dr. Alexander Logan, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.

"We can identify people who are eating a poor quality diet by a simple urine test and can recommend an intervention," said Logan, who is also senior scientist at the university's Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute.

Simply questioning people about their diet isn't as foolproof, he added. "One can get a general idea of [intake of] fruits, vegetables and dairy by asking," he said. But self-reports are notoriously inaccurate. So, Logan's team evaluated 24-hour urine samples from 220 people, aged 18 to 50, all diagnosed with kidney stones.

The participants answered food questionnaires about their food intake and had their weight, height and blood pressure measured.

Logan's team then looked to see if urinary potassium and sodium levels could correlate to diet quality.

They found that the higher the potassium level in urine, the higher the intake of recommended healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

The lower the potassium, the more likely the food reports were to include more red meat, fast food and sugary, high-calorie drinks.

Those with the highest levels of urinary potassium also tended to have a lower body mass index (BMI), lower diastolic blood pressure and a lower heart rate than did those with lower levels. For instance, people with the highest potassium levels averaged a BMI of 26.5 (under 25 is desirable), while those with the lowest potassium levels had an average BMI of 28.7 (a BMI of 30 is the accepted threshold for obesity).

Sodium levels were not associated with any of those variables, the team found.

The study is published in the April 2009 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

The Logan research is "an excellent study," said Judith Stern, a distinguished professor of nutrition at the University of California at Davis, who was not involved in the study but reviewed it. Consumers might ask their physician for the test to see if their diet is as healthy as they might think, she said.

"This study supports the [medical] literature that the amount of potassium in urine may objectively measure diet quality," added Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, a dietitian in Roseville, Calif., and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "However, the study looked at 24-hour urine collections, which are cumbersome, time-consuming and impractical for some patients," she said.

Moloo called for more research to further validate the findings.

Logan said his team can probably simplify the test to make it a one-time measurement. In the meantime, he advises consumers to pay attention to their fruit and vegetable intake and to follow other healthy dietary guidelines, such as eating three servings of dairy products a day, choosing either low- or no-fat varieties if weight control is a concern.

Logan said his team also plans to study the value of the test in people besides those with kidney disease, including those with Irritable bowel syndrome, many of whom eat a poor diet.

More information
To learn more about the dietary guidelines, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Exercise blocks effect of genetic variation

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- If you're fat, maybe you CAN blame your genes. But there's a way to overcome that family history -- just get three to four hours of moderate activity a day.

Sound pretty daunting?

Not for the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who were the focus of a new study on a common genetic variation that makes people more likely to gain weight. It turns out the variant's effects can be blocked with physical activity -- lots of it.

Scientists believe about 30 percent of white people of European ancestry have this variant, including the Amish, and that may partly explain why so many people are overweight.

But fighting that fat factor may be easier in the Amish community's 19th-century rural lifestyle. They don't use cars or modern appliances. Many of the men are farmers and carpenters, and the women, who are homemakers, often care for several children. Continue Reading >>

Almost Half of Adults Will Develop Knee Osteoarthritis by 85

(HealthDay News) -- Almost half of all American adults will develop osteoarthritis of the knee by age 85, and their odds increase if they are obese in middle age, a new study says.

A person's risk of having the painful condition increased as his or her body-mass index (BMI) rose, according to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study. People who were of normal weight at age 18 but were overweight or obese by 45 or older had the greatest risk.

"These results show how important weight management is for people throughout their lives," senior study author Joanne Jordan, principal investigator of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, said in a university news release. "Simply put, people who keep their weight within the normal range are much less likely to develop symptomatic knee osteoarthritis as they get older and thus much less likely to face the need for major surgical procedures, such as knee replacement surgery."

The study, published in the Sept. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, was based on analyzing data collected from more than 3,000 North Carolinians over a 13-year period. Participants were interviewed and given a clinical exam, including knee X-rays and BMI measurements.

Obese people had a significantly higher lifetime risk, 64.5 percent versus 34.9 percent for normal weight and 44.1 percent for overweight participants. Those with prior knee injuries in their lifetime also had a higher risk than those without (56.8 percent vs. 42.3 percent).

No notable risk differences were found based on a participant's sex, race or education level.

More information
The Arthritis Foundation has more about osteoarthritis.

Kids of Stressed, Low-Income Moms Prone to Weight Problems

(HealthDay News) -- Younger children from low-income families who pick up the stress of their anxious mothers often respond by developing poor eating habits that raise their risk of becoming overweight, a new study says.

"Most low-income children in the U.S. are food secure, meaning they have access to a sufficient amount of food," said study lead author Craig Gundersen, an associate professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois. "And we found that children who experience maternal stress and can access food if they're feeling anxious tend to go for the so-called 'comfort foods,' which may not be the most healthy."

About 17 percent of American children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese, and another 16.5 percent are overweight, the study authors noted.

The new findings, published in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics, were based on a survey of 841 children -- between the ages of 3 and 17-- and their mothers. Statistics collected between 1999 and 2002 by the National Health Nutrition Examination Survey were also reviewed.

All the mothers had incomes below 200 percent of the poverty line. They were asked about maternal stressors such as depression, child-care problems, family and financial difficulties, and health impediments to working. A household's routine access to food was also assessed.

Thirty-seven percent of the children were found to be either overweight or obese; 20 percent to 25 percent lived in low-income families with inadequate access to food -- so-called "food insecure" homes. The researchers found no apparent link between a mother's stress levels and any increased risk of weight problems in "food insecure" households.

But a risk for weight problems was found for children between the ages of 3 and 10 who lived in "food secure" homes, where there was enough food for family members. No such link was found among teens 11 through 17, leaving the researchers to suggest that these children may be more resourceful at finding non-food sources of comfort through school and friends.

So what's a stressed-out, financially strapped mother to do?

"Not to absolve all personal responsibility, but we have to acknowledge that there are some factors that may be beyond an individual's ability to control," Gundersen said. "So with a focus on public policy, there are three important things that can be done. First, we can have a firm social safety net for such households. Second, we can offer financial education to enable people to better understand how to manage their money. And third, we can focus on the importance of making sure everyone has health insurance. So instead of saying here's what mothers can do to alleviate the stress, we're saying here's what we can do as a society."

Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian and assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, agreed that a broad societal response could help address the links between poverty, stress, and poor childhood nutrition.

"It's a big problem because, quite frankly, for many [people] eating healthy is a kind of luxury," she said Sandon, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Those with a limited income -- even food secure families -- find that often it's cheaper to go to fast food than to buy fresh produce or fresh meat. Or they perceive that to be the case, because they don't know how to purchase healthier foods on a low budget. So, they end up consuming high-fat, high-calorie items."

"The last thing you're going to worry about is whether your child is obese if you're busy trying to take care of physical needs first, like simply putting a roof over your head," she added.

More information
For more on childhood nutrition, visit the National Institutes of Health.

Active Video Games Help Kids Exercise

(HealthDay News) -- Children love playing video games, and playing active versions of these games may help stop children from becoming obese, University of Hong Kong researchers report.

In fact, children playing active video games have higher heart rates and burn four times as many calories a minute than children playing passive video games, according to this new study.

"Technological change in our homes, schools and workplaces has meant the amount of walking we do has declined significantly, and in its place, disproportionately greater amounts of time are spent seated," said lead researcher Alison M. McManus, from the university's Institute of Human Performance. "With childhood obesity posing the largest international health riddle, converting seated activities into active ones is an important goal."

Parents need to be creative in their endeavors to get children active, McManus said. Children play video games, because it is fun, exciting and challenging, but it is largely conducted seated, she added.

"The children in this study had a lot of fun playing media games and burnt up calories, showing that making video game media active can certainly help in our efforts to get children active," McManus said. "The challenge is for industry to continue developing new and exciting games that integrate physical activity into the virtual game environment."

The report was published in the September issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

McManus and her colleague, Robin R. Mellecker, measured heart rate and number of calories burned in 18 children aged 6 to 12, who played an active video game, a passive video game, and an action/running game. Over 25 minutes, the children alternated between the three games with a five-minute rest in between each game, the researchers noted.

McManus and Mellecker found that compared with resting children, 39 percent more calories per minute were burnt playing the video passive game, 98 percent more calories per minute were burnt playing the active bowling game, and 451 percent more calories per minute were burnt playing the action/ running game. Moreover, the researchers found that heart rates were significantly higher during the active game and the action game compared with playing the seated video game.

Playing active video games resulted in meaningful amounts of energy being expended in comparison to the normal seated game environment, McManus said.

"In the J-Mat game -- Jackie Chan Action Run -- the children raised their heart rate to 160 beats per minute, expending more than 5 kilocalories of energy per minute compared with only 1.3 kilocalories when seated," McManus said. "When using the XaviX Bowling game, which essentially is a standing game with light intensity movement, children expended 0.6 kilocalories per minute more than seated computer game play."

McManus thinks that these games can be used to get children to exercise regularly.

"When playing on the XaviX J-Mat, the children played at an intensity equivalent to vigorous exercise. If they were to play regularly, they could more easily meet current activity recommendations, which are otherwise not being met," McManus said.

If the light intensity XaviX Bowling game was played for 20 minutes to 30 minutes daily, this may provide pronounced benefit for a number of the diseases associated with physical inactivity if maintained over time, McManus said. "Importantly, this lower intensity activity is likely to be more sustainable over longer periods of time than more vigorous intensity games," she said.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, thinks playing active video games maybe a good way to get children exercising.

"It is reassuring to see evidence that the power of technological progress can be converted from foe to friend with regard to the health of children," Katz said. "The evidence is clear from this study that, at least in brief bouts, video gaming can constitute a meaningful aerobic workout."

Susan Finn, chairwoman of the American Council for Fitness & Nutrition, noted there needs to be a balance between how much children eat and the amount of exercise they get.

"When it comes to obesity, the other part of the equation is the consumption of calories," Finn said. "This half of the solution is often more difficult. The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition has partnered with PE4life and The American Dietetic Association Foundation to teach energy balance -- what you do and what you eat has to be in balance. This report deals with half of the equation and demonstrates that there are many ways to get kids active," she said.

More information
For more about children and obesity, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Should Fast Food Be Banned From High-Fat Neighborhoods?

By Scott Mowbray

The rise of urban nutrition activism continues with the L.A. moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in South Los Angeles, a low-income area underserved by healthier-menu alternatives and decent supermarkets.

Advocates argue that in an obesity epidemic, it’s fair game to block businesses that serve up fatty fare. Opponents counter that attempts to stifle free choice in a free market smack of paternalism and even racism. The National Restaurant Association is predictably bothered; it smells a rat in the fryer. Read More

Could Where I Live Raise My Risk of Breast Cancer?

By Anne Krueger

My fellow blogger Sean Kelley recently wrote about how fat his home state is. (He lives in Alabama, second fattest state in the nation, according to stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) One of Sean’s points was that it’s no surprise that fat Alabama also has a high incidence of diabetes. There is a proven obesity-diabetes link.

That got me thinking about a disease that weighs more heavily on my mind. Could where I live (Tennessee) affect my risk of getting breast cancer? And how does a person figure out how healthy her state is, anyway? Read More

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When We’re All Fat, What Does the Ranking Matter?

By Sean Kelley

Whenever a list comes out that ranks my state close to the bottom for something good (or close to the top for something bad), we Alabamans like to look west and say, “Thank God for Mississippi.” The Magnolia state tends to be one or two slots below us on everything from education rankings to per capita earnings. And last week they surpassed us in obesity.

The Centers for Disease Control reported July 17 that three southern states had rates of obesity greater than 30%. By merely a point or two, Mississippi was chunkier than Alabama and Tennessee. Thank God for Mississippi. It’s held the top spot in the CDC’s ranking (based on telephone surveys of 350,000 Americans) since 2004. Read More