Category Archives: Diet And Food

It is something when the CEO of the biggest health care operation in town admits that his industry has much less of an impact on our health than other factors, such as the environment, income, education, family history, health habits and, especially, diet.

The health care industry accounts for only about 20 percent of what controls our health, noted Mary Washington Healthcare CEO Mike McDermott in his introductory remarks for a recent showing of a rather controversial movie, Forks Over Knives.

The film claims many of the illnesses we suffer from can be stopped, or reversed, by adopting a diet that is exclusively vegetable based.

The screening was sponsored by Mary Washington Healthcare; the Fredericksburg Food Co-op, a group trying to bring affordable and healthy food to the area (fredericksburgfoodcoop.com); and The Dr. Yum project, Dr. Nimali Fernandos pediatric operation that provides cooking and healthy eating classes to kids (doctoryum.org).

The movie focuses on the research of Drs. Colin Campbell and Caldwell Esselstyn. Both are pioneers in promoting a plant-based, unrefined, whole-foods diet.

It follows the case histories, and miraculous turnaround, of several people suffering from diseases like high blood pressure, vascular and heart disease, diabetes and elevated cholesterol.

It explores the belief by Campbell especially, drawn from his work on The China Study (which he wrote about in a book of the same name) where illnesses in different regions of China were correlated with diet.

This convinced him that animal protein, and casein in milk in particular, is responsible for a lot of illnesses, especially those mediated by our immune system (many so-called autoimmune diseases). He also believes that it promotes cancer.

The problem is, the diet the film urges is pretty radical. No meat, no dairy, no eggsas well as largely avoiding fats and refined carbohydrates (which includes sugar).

Very like a vegan diet you might think, which prohibits meat, eggs and dairythough the cynics point out in theory a vegan could live on potato chips and CocaCola and not break the rules.

I have tended to be skeptical about claims I have heard from euphoric evangelists of this or that diet, claiming it has cured them of their multiple sclerosis, depression, liver and kidney failure, cancers, Alzheimers. Whatever.

Even if not completely on board with these more radical ideas, I am certainly convinced that the standard U.S. diet, with large amounts of meat, dairy, fat, and, in particular, sugars (usually as high fructose corn syrup) and refined carbohydrates (usually white flour) is killing us.

Look for yourself at what people are buying in the grocery check-out line.

This is what is accounting for many of the dismal statistics the movie cites, such as:

More than two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese.

Diabetes is running rampant.

Our kids will be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

The most prescribed drug in the U.S. is for treating high cholesterol (Lipitor).

This awful diet has come about primarily because thats what people have been taught to eat. Its the culture. And reversing it is going to take re-education.

Opportunities and Challenges

It always seems a golden opportunity is missed when patients are hospitalized. They have to be fed, but so often hospital food is not the model diet. (I have worked in hospital where I could describe the food only as gruesome.)

Perusing this idea, I, somewhat facetiously asked Mike McDermott when Mary Washington Hospital was going to go to a vegetable-based diet.

Probably not any time soon, he told us, but the veggie proponents have an ally in McDermotts wife, Chrissy, who stumbled in to veganism five years ago.

She was also one of several great cooks who made a vegetable-based dish to show what can be done. In this case, she served up a tasty noodle concoction with cheese sauce made from cashew nuts.

There are challenges to introducing such a ridged diet, which I know I would have a hard time following. But there werent any comments from the subjects in the movie about how hard they found it.

Also, the USDA, who are the arbitrators of what is considered a healthy diet (including in our schools), are accused in the movie as being an advocacy group for interested parties in the food industry that are pushing meat and dairy.

Still, it is very encouraging when the bigwigs of a large healthcare corporation, like Mary Washington Healthcare, are promoting the idea of healthy eating.

Patrick Neustatter is the medical director of Lloyd Moss Free Clinic in Fredericksburg and the author of Managing Your Doctor: The Smart Patients Guide to Getting Effective Affordable Healthcare. Visit managingyourdoctor.com.

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Neustatter: Film pitches plant-based diet pluses - Fredericksburg.com

Coca-Cola recently unveiled a new soda with an ingredient thats sure to go down smoothly with its customers: dietary fiber.

The beverage company introduced the product, which is called Coca-Cola Plus, in February. The soda is only sold in Japan and contains five grams of indigestible dextrin (which is a form of dietary fiber).

According to an announcement from Coke back in February, the product is a part of Coca-Cola Japans Food of Specified Health Use (FOSHU) drinks. FOSHU drinks are meant to appeal to Japans health conscious consumers who are 40 and older.Coke, which has had a popular FOSHU tea drink in the market since 2014, said it took over a decade to research and develop Coke Plus, which was recently approved by the Japanese government. However, people arent too sure if its healthy claims will actually do that much to help consumers.

Drinking one Coca-Cola Plus per day with food will help suppress fat absorption and help moderate the levels of triglycerides in the blood after eating, the company claimed in a press release.

Companies adding dietary fiber to its drinks is nothing new. Pepsiadded dietary fiber to drinks in its Japanese market a few years ago and made similar claims about fat absorption and triglycerides that Coke did in the statement above.

Unless Pepsi can provide data from controlled studies in humans to the contrary, their claim should be regarded as bogus and deceptive, Walter Willett, Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, told Time in 2012.

HuffPost reached out to Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D, one of the countrys leading nutritionists and director of the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire, to talk about the addition of dietary fiber to soda.

There is no evidence that providing fiber, sprinkling it in here or there, that that fiber has an overall health benefit, so thats an important distinction, Nelson told HuffPost. The evidence for dietary fiber having a health-promoting impact is with eating a pattern of foods (like fruits and vegetables and whole grains) that provide that fiber.

Nelson said that adding the fiber wont do anything harmful to the consumer, but just adding the fiber by itself wont have any of the health attributes a fiber-rich diet would offer.But she did find one part disturbing about the fiber claims.

The companies are trying to add or create a positive halo or health attribute within a product that doesnt have any health benefits, Nelson said. If its a sugar-sweetened beverage then it actually has a lot of negative health benefits, so its trying to counterbalance that. Thats the disturbing part, because I think theyre trying to connect with the consumer and create a health attribute where there isnt one.

So if you want to add more fiber to your diet, its best to do it with fruits, veggies and whole grains.

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There's Fiber Added To Coke's Latest Diet Drink, Coca-Cola Plus. Yes, Fiber. - Huffington Post

Following NutriSystem Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI)'s first-quarter results, Wunderlich said it believes part of the current premium valuation is attributed to expectations South Beach can develop into a sizeable revenue platform.

Nutrisystem acquired South Beach Diet from SBD Holdings for $15 million in December 2015. South Beach Diet, created by Arthur Agatston, M.D., a cardiologist from southern Florida, is meant to help overweight patients improve their health by prescribing a safe diet for them.

Agatston's book "The South Beach Diet" became a runaway bestseller, boasting more than 23 million copies in print.

Nutrisystem revealed plans for South Beach Diet in December 2016, announcing its debut as a structured meal delivery weight-loss program.

"This past September we began our beta test of the South Beach Diet and we saw strong consumer interest in the brand and our overall opportunity to capitalize on the strong brand equity of the program," said Dawn Zier, president and CEO of Nutrisystem in December 2016.

"We will begin rolling out the all new South Beach Diet in January and it will ramp up over time, enabling us to capture a larger portion of the $1015 billion addressable weight loss market."

Analyst Mitchell Pinheiro said he remains positive on South Beach's outlook but believes the stock price reflects the visible potential, particularly in light of its nascent stage.

In the first quarter, South Beach Diet added revenues of $8 million, $1 million above the analyst's estimate. The company also reiterated its 2017 guidance of $20 million to $25 million in revenues from this diet.

"While the program continues to be tweaked, we believe the performance was solid and expect further improvements in the product mix and marketing message as the year progresses, with an eye toward more meaningful growth in 2018," the analyst explained.

Wunderlich noted the company reported first-quarter earnings per share of $0.25, exceeding its estimate of $0.10, with lower tax rate adding $0.02 relative to its estimate. Revenues rose 31 percent to $197 million, above the firm's estimate of $197 million.

The firm commended the new customer revenue, which spiked 35 percent, aided by strong new customer growth and reactivation revenue.

Other metrics:

Wunderlich raised its 2017 earnings per share estimate to $1.66 from $1.56, which is at the low end of the guidance range of $1.65$1.75. The company attributed the revision to the better than expected first-quarter results. The revenue estimate is $656 million, also reflecting the first quarter strength.

"Given the momentum of 1Q, we believe this could prove conservative and represents potential upside to our estimate," the firm said.

The firm also raised its 2018 earnings per share estimate to $1.91 from $1.80 on revenues of $706 million, up 7 percent.

Additionally, the firm said its second-quarter estimate calls for 20 percent revenue growth.

"We project core Nutrisystem revenue growth of 6 percent, which we believe is conservative given the current momentum. We have left our South Beach revenue estimate unchanged at $57mm implying a growth rate of 49 percent," the firm added.

Wunderlich downgraded shares of the company to Hold from Buy but raised its price target to $60 from $52.

The downgrade was due to the firm's expectations that there aren't any sufficient near-term catalysts to drive the valuation multiple higher, with the firm seeing a more even risk/reward scenario over the next six months. That said, the firm remains positive on NutriSystem's fundamental outlook against a backdrop of consistently strong operating performance.

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The South Beach Diet's Success Fattens Nutrisystem's Share Price - Benzinga

The Hindu

Diet' foods too could be making you balloon The Hindu When fighting obesity, high fat foods are often the primary target, but sugar-laden diet foods could be contributing to unwanted weight gain as well, says a new study from the University of Georgia, U.S. Researchers found that rats that were fed a ... It's been proven that diet foods are making people fatterNormangee Star Eating 'diet' foods can make you fatAlive For Football Diet foods can actually make you add weight, study findsAppsforPCdaily Pakistan Observer all 5 news articles »

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Diet' foods too could be making you balloon - The Hindu

My Why Is Meat a Risk Factor for Diabetes?postshows that meat may play a role in increasing the risk of diabetes, and How May Plants Protect Against Diabetes?discuss the potential protective role of healthy plant foods. But plant-based diets not only appear to guard against getting diabetes in the first place, they may successfully treat the disease better than the diabetic diets patients typically are placed on, controlling both weight and cholesterol.

Diets based on whole plant foods can result in significant weight loss without limiting portion size or counting calories, because plant foods tend to be so calorically dilute. In my video below, you can see the volume of 100 calories of broccoli, tomatoes, and strawberries compared to 100 calories of chicken, cheese, or fish. People just cant seem to eat enough of the plant foods to compensate for the calorie deficit, so they lose weight eating whole plant foods.

Most importantly, a plant-based diet works better. A plant-based diet beat out the conventional American Diabetes Association diet in a head-to-head, randomized, controlled clinical trial, without restricting portions and without calorie- or carb-counting. A review of all such studies found that those following plant-based diets experience improved reductions in blood sugars, body weight, and cardiovascular risk, compared with those on diets including animal products.

Cardiovascular risk is what kills diabetics the most. Theyre more likely to get strokes, more likely to suffer heart failure. In fact, [d]iabetes has been proposed as a coronary heart disease risk equivalent, which means diabetic patients without a history of coronary disease have an equivalent risk to that of nondiabetic individuals with confirmed heart disease.

A newer study used a technique to actually measure insulin sensitivity. It improved on both diets in the first three months, but then the vegetarian diet pulled ahead. The researchers also found that the LDL cholesterol fell significantly in the vegetarian group. Indeed, thats what we see when people are put on plant-based diets: Cholesterol comes down so much it can actually reverse the atherosclerosis progressionthat is, reverse the progression of heart disease.

We know about the beneficial effect of a vegetarian diet on controlling weight, blood sugars, cholesterol, insulin sensitivity, and oxidative stress compared to conventional diabetic diets, but what about quality of life and mood. How did people feel after making such a dramatic change in their diets? In a randomized, controlled trial, study subjects were assigned either to a plant-based diet group or a control group. The plant-based group ate vegetables, grains, beans, fruits, and nuts with animal products limited to a maximum of one daily portion of low-fat yogurt. The control group followed an official diabetes diet.

Quality of life improved on both diets in the first three months, but, within six months, the plant-based group clearly pulled ahead. The same results were seen with depression scores: They dropped in both groups in the first three months, but started to rebound in the control group.

The bottom line is that the more plant-based diet led to a greater improvement in quality of life and mood. Patients consuming a vegetarian diet also felt less constrained than those consuming the conventional diet. People actually felt the conventional diabetic diet was more restrictive than the plant-based diet. Disinhibition decreased with a vegetarian diet, meaning those eating vegetarian were less likely to binge, and the subjects in the vegetarian group tended to feel less hungry. All of this helps with sustainability in the long term, which is, of course, critical for any dietary change. So, not only do plant-based diets appear to work better, but they may be easier to stick to. And, with the improvement in mood, patients may exhibit desired improvements not only in physical, but also in mental, health.

In health,

Michael Greger, M.D.

PS: If you havent yet, you can subscribe to my free videoshereand watch my live, year-in-review presentations2015:Food as Medicine: Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet, and my latest, 2016:How Not to Die: The Role of Diet in Preventing, Arresting, and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers.

Related:

How May Plants Protect Against Diabetes? Why Is Meat a Risk-Factor for Diabetes? Lifestyle Medicine Is the Standard of Care for Prediabetes

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Plant-Based Diets for Diabetics Improves Quality of Life and Mood - Care2.com

To me, the kind of person who can count how many times I've been to the gym this year on one hand (ahem, or one finger), it doesn't feel like I really have a need to drink a protein shake for breakfast, or to eat one of those high protein bars in between meals.

I don't exactly love just eating grilled chicken and eggs, either.

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But after speaking with Myprotein nutritionist Charlotte Campbell, who spends quite a lot of time looking at the health benefits of protein, I might just have been convinced. Because a high protein diet is actually also great for people who don't own or regularly wear a sports bra, it turns out.

Research suggests that a high protein diet offers a whole host of health benefits, whether you lift weights or just the TV remote. Here's why:

"By eating lean sources of protein, youll keep your stomach fuller for much longer," says Charlotte. "If you want to cut calories but dont know where to start, add a portion of protein for your mid-morning and afternoon snack - whether this is some chicken bites, a handful of nuts or a specialised protein product." If you incorporate this into your routine, Charlotte explains you're likely to find yourself consuming less calories without realising - with some studies suggesting you could drop over 400 calories from your daily intake using this method.

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"Protein has a higher thermic affect than carbs or fats, which means it can be very efficiently processed by the body and turned into energy to be burned off," the nutritionist explains.

And even if you don't particularly want to achieve the lean look, it's important to maintain muscle for strength, especially as we get older. Cutting protein from your diet, Charlotte says, would cause you to "lose muscle mass along with fat", which can "affect mobility and make you more prone to injury".

It's not just muscle that protein protects, it also helps the bones directly says the nutritionist. "Studies have shown that a high protein diet makes you less likely to suffer from osteoporosis and fractures, which is important news for women who are more at risk of osteoporosis the older we get".

As always, though, it's worth pointing out that the ideal kind of diet is one that's balanced. "A high protein diet does not mean only protein," says Charlotte, adding: "While protein provides many benefits it should be consumed as part of a varied diet that also contains carbs and fats."

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Why a high protein diet isn't just for people who work out - Cosmopolitan.com

HYDERABAD:What are ante natal classes? These are classes to be attended during pregnancy. They can begin from first trim if all safe. Depends upon the design of the classes- could be couple or only mom. However Preggo is a program for mother and baby which has antenatal sessions as a part of the program hence its more vast and exciting for moms.

How do you say it is mandatory for healthy child birth? Childbirth prep helps in reducing fear in moms and makes them more confident to have a less painful natural labour. Considering the bad lifestyle in the current scenario, the need for such programs has arise. Preggo comprises of Antenatal Yoga and Lamaze classes. and much more.

Diet & nutrition of moms-to-be, new moms, newborns Throughout the period of pregnancy there will be numerous physical and hormonal changes that shape the body of the new mom to-be.

Adhering to a balanced diet, with a proper balance of micronutrients and macronutrients in the diet, is essential for a healthy pregnancy.

Micronutrients are the dietary components, such as vitamins and minerals, which are required in small amount whereas macronutrients, on the other hand, are required in plenty as they provide nutrients that provide calories or energy. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Prenatal and postnatal fitness Prenatal and postnatal fitness is a combination of yoga, aerobics as well as cardio exercises. These fitness courses include abdominal exercises as well as strength training and cardio workouts which will improve the health aspects of the mom and baby and reduce the chances of the delivery to move to C-section. These exercises will help in acquiring the pre-pregnancy shape quickly and safely also. Birthing education for parents-to-be

The main questions that run through the mind will be how will I know Im in labor? Will it hurt? Will I be lactating enough? How do I care for a newborn?Prenatal classes help in addressing all these concerns and help you in becoming a confident mother.

Emotional health counselingWomen can experience anxiety, fear, tiredness, sadness, and so much more. In this stage of life, she explores a new identity as mother, which in itself is quite challenging. Women need to seek a new balance, which they experience till the time.

So as a result it is an essentiality to undergo an emotional health counseling that will motivate the expecting mom as well as her partner to support her morally. Preggo is a pre and oost natal fitness and education programme designed by Indias leading experts to help create healthy and confident parents.

This program encompasses all aspects of maternal health diet & nutrition of moms-to-be, new moms, newborns. We also deal with prenatal and postnatal fitness, birthing education for parents-to-be. lactation counselling besides emotional health counselling (Dr Mahima Bakshi is Head - Preggo, Apollo Cradle)

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Understanding ante-natal classes - The New Indian Express

According to the AAD, the SPOTme skin cancer-screening program is one of the most successful association-led public health programs in U.S. history.

On Monday, Essentia Health's Dermatology providers host complimentary SPOTme skin cancer screenings 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Essentia Health's Center for Renewal, Duluth. People will have a 10-minute skin check appointment with one of the dermatology providers.

"If people are concerned about a spot on their skin, this is a convenient way for them to have it looked at," said Nurse Practitioner John Slettedahl. "They will then have the choice to arrange to have the spot further evaluated or treated where they choose to receive their regular medical care."

The AAD recommends everyone use sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays); sun protection factor (SPF) 30 or higher and is water resistant.

A sunscreen that offers those things helps to protect your skin from sunburn, early skin aging and skin cancer. However, sunscreen alone cannot fully protect you. In addition to wearing sunscreen, dermatologists recommend taking the following steps to protect your skin and find skin cancer early:

Seek shade when appropriate, remembering the sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. if your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.

Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, when possible.

Use extra caution near water, snow and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.

Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements. Don't seek the sun.

Avoid tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look tan, you may wish to use a self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.

Check your birthday suit on your birthday. If you notice anything changing, itching or bleeding on your skin, see a board-certified dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.

"You don't have to live in a sun belt to develop skin cancer," Essentia Health Dermatologist Dr. Susan Ash said. "Many people in this area have fair Scandinavian skin with less natural pigment to avoid getting really bad sunburns. That's why it is so important that people understand that skin cancer is increasing and learn how to protect themselves."

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Get checked for skin cancer - Superior Telegram

ASK THE DOCTORS by Robert Ashley, M.D. For The Salinas Californian 12:04 a.m. PT April 28, 2017

Dr. Robert Ashley MD(Photo: Provided)

Dear Doctor: Im almost 90 years old and always tired. I took two capsules of 2,000 mcg vitamin B12 the other night, and felt stronger and not as tired. Is it safe?

Dear Reader: My first thought is that you might have B12 deficiency, caused either by inadequate intake or by inadequate absorption of B12. Animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs are the only sources of B12 in humans, and the recommended daily allowance is 2.4 micrograms per day. The average intake of an individual in the United States is approximately 3.4 micrograms per day, but if you follow a vegan diet, you obviously lack sources of B12. Thanks to evolution, one-half of your B12 intake is stored in your liver, and it takes many years for this to be depleted.

If your intake is sufficient, it may be your ability to absorb B12 that is compromised. This can occur if you have inflammation of your stomach lining or disorders of the small intestine, such as Crohns disease. Antacids and proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec, Protonix, Prevacid, Aciphex, Zantac and Pepcid also can lead to deficiency, because they reduce the stomach acid necessary to release the B12 from food. Metformin, a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, can also decrease absorption of B12 in the small intestine in 10 percent to 30 percent of patients.

Lastly, age can be a risk factor for B12 deficiency. Multiple studies in this and in other countries have found deficiency in 10 percent to 24 percent of people 75 and older. The causes may be both inadequate intake and inadequate absorption. Significant B12 deficiency can lead to anemia, nerve damage and dementia.

But let us say that your B12 levels are normal. Is there any benefit to taking more, and is there any danger in doing so? Many of my patients, who are not B12 deficient, feel greater energy and improvement of their health with B12 injections. I am not certain why this happens, and it doesnt appear to have a lasting effect. It is possible that extra amounts of B12 can improve the metabolic function and allow the vitamin to be utilized better.

Water soluble vitamins, like B12, can be tolerated at higher doses without adverse effects upon the body, and the National Academy of Medicine has not established an upper limit of vitamin B12 intake. The dose of 2,000 micrograms of B12 is more than 800 times the recommended daily amount. So, on the face of it, this dose seems too high, but as you increase the amount in your diet, less of a percentage will be absorbed.

Before continuing the B12, I would recommend getting your levels tested with your doctor. If you show a deficiency, your doctor may want to investigate and gauge how much of the vitamin you might need.

If you are not deficient, I believe it is safe to take a supplement at a lower dose; you dont even have to take it every day because B12 is well-stored by the body. Further, if you want to ensure better absorption of B12, you can try preparations that can be absorbed under the tongue. The important thing is to investigate why this B12 dose had such an impact and how you can safely replicate the effects.

Robert Ashley, M.D., is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

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Ask the Drs.: Large dose of B12 give burst of energy - The Salinas Californian

Kids are spending more and more time watching more and more screens. If you havent noticed it, you must be Rip Van Winkle.

I used to harp against TV time, but gone are the days of just three network stations plus PBS. Now there are screens everywhere and I mean everywhere.

How many times have you almost bumped into someone walking down the street looking at the screen on their dumb phone? And look at restaurants, where mom and dad are sitting with their kids and no one is talking to one another. Theyre all in their own cocoon, looking at their screens. A recent ad for AT&T showed a father and 5-year-old son sitting on the step each with a phone or tablet. Not talking. Not interacting. Just looking and texting. Uh huh. Thats not what I would call good parenting at all. Yes, the times they are a-changin and not all for the better.

Learning to use technology appropriately is why two studies from the British Medical Journal caught my interest. That time your child is spending in front of the screen just might be responsible for the diabetes and obesity epidemic we see nationwide affecting our kids. Thats right screen time might be fat time.

Before you say hold your horses, lets look at the data. The study came out of England and, granted, British kids are not the same as U.S. kids. But I think you could comfortably say the differences are minor when you look at the results the study showed.

They looked at nearly 5,000 children, boys and girls, in more than 200 schools, checking to see how much time they spent in front of a screen. Diaries from the kids and the parents were a pretty good representation of what was going on in each house. They wanted to compare the kids who clocked in little or no time screen time, meaning an hour or less per day, with kids who clocked in three hours or more per day.

Then they took blood tests, measuring insulin resistance, blood sugar, cholesterol and inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, which has been implicated in heart attacks. And, of course, they measured the kids height and weight as well as skin-fold thickness, a fairly reliable measure of how much fat you have when youre a child.

The results may not surprise you, but they certainly did me. Children who spent more time in front of a screen were more likely have worse scores in nearly all of these measures, potentially putting them at risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease when they become adults. Not only that, but the kids with more screen time showed elevated levels of leptin, a hormone that has been implicated in overweight people.

You might wonder what role family income, parents education, whether there were smokers in the house and other factors might play in this. The answer was nada, none at all.

My spin: Screen time is diabetes and obesity time. We talk about diet and exercise, diet and exercise; we dont talk about screen time, diet and exercise. Perhaps we should.

And perhaps what might be true for children also might be true for adults. I dont ask my patients to clock in how much time they spend in front of a screen every day. Perhaps that should be a question that all clinicians should ask whats good for the gosling is good for the gander.

Next week, Ill tell you about a disappointing study regarding childhood exercise. Stay well.

This column provides general health information and is not specific advice intended for particular individual(s). It is not a professional medical opinion or diagnosis. Always consult your personal health care provider about concerns. No ongoing relationship of any sort (including but not limited to any form of professional relationship) is implied or offered by Dr. Paster to people submitting questions.

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Dr. Zorba Paster: Talk about diet, exercise and screen time - Madison.com