The study, which involved over 7,000 participants, found that bread accounted for an average of seven percent of daily sodium intake, more than any other individual food item. Bread may not contain the highest amount of salt per serving, but the fact that people eat it more often and in larger quantities than most other foods makes it a leading contributor to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

The average American consumes about 3,250 milligrams of salt per day, far more than what’s recommended by the government’s Dietary Guidelines, which is 2,300 milligrams for healthy adults and 1,500 milligrams for high blood pressure and heart disease patients. Over 30 percent of the adult population suffer from high blood pressure, according to the CDC.

Most consumers are not aware that they are getting too much salt. What makes matters worse is that they could not easily change that even if they wanted to. “Most sodium comes from common grocery store and restaurant items and only a very small portion from the shaker at the table,” Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the Director of the CDC, told reporters. “People can choose how much salt they add to their food at the table,” he said, “but they can’t take it out once it’s there.”

In fact, over 60 percent of the salt consumed by Americans is found in processed foods, about 25 percent in restaurant meals and the remainder from other sources such as vending machines and extra salt added at home, according to CDC statistics.

Dr. Frieden called for food manufacturers and restaurant owners to reduce the amount of salt they apply to their products. It is estimated that a 25 percent reduction in salt content in the most popular food items could save tens of thousands of lives every year.

Food industry representatives have responded by saying that reducing sodium would adversely affect taste and may also violate food safety standards because salt is commonly used as a preservative.

The CDC study report was released in the February edition of the journal “Vital Signs,” just in time to coincide with “Heart Health Month.” Sodium is well known to raise blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. More than 800,000 Americans die each year from these diseases.

Health experts have long advised that people with heart problems should avoid processed and packaged foods as much as possible and eat more fresh produce instead. With regards to bread, it is important to read the Nutrition Facts labels. Sodium content in different breads can considerably vary between 80 and well over 200 milligrams. Other items like canned soups can have a wide sodium range from 100 to well over 900 milligrams, depending on the brand. Many fast food choices and TV dinners contain astronomical amounts of salt, often more than the recommended daily values in just one serving.

Asking food manufacturers and restaurants to voluntarily change the ways they use salt has not been very effective, although there are exceptions. Other than through legislation, the only promising approach would be consumer demand. If grocery store owners found that customers prefer low-sodium products and restaurant patrons asked to have salt reduced or eliminated in their dishes, we could see some positive changes over time.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Sadly, heart disease has become nothing short of a national crisis in this country. “Heart disease takes the lives of far too many people in this country,” said Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “With more than two million heart attacks and strokes a year, and 800,000 deaths, just about all of us have been touched by someone who has had heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke.”

Heart disease is also very expensive to treat. Cardiovascular disease and stroke hospitalizations have cost nearly $450 billion in health care expenses and lost productivity in 2010 alone.

“The sad truth is that these ailments are usually preventable, and in a perfect world I would be out of a job,” said Mehmet Oz, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon and host of “The Dr. Oz Show.” “Unfortunately, I’m busier than ever,” he added.

Raising awareness is a crucial way to fight back against the spreading disease. In 2011, the HHS, in collaboration with the CDC and other government agencies as well as private organizations, has launched a program named “Million Hearts,” a nationwide initiative aimed at preventing one million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. Among its many goals, the program wants to “empower Americans to make healthy choices,” such as avoiding tobacco use and reducing the amount of sodium and trans fat they eat, and to “improve care for people who need treatment” by encouraging them to take steps to better control their blood pressure, cholesterol levels and other major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

“Million Hearts” is not the only awareness movement in the country. “Go Red for Women” is a nationwide program by AHA “to fight heart disease as the number one killer of women in America.” Observers can express their support by wearing red clothing or pins. “Choose to Move” is another AHA project dedicated to women’s heart health through physical exercise.

Sending the right messages is vitally important, especially for women, said Dr. Oz. “Many women and their health care providers believe that heart disease is less serious in women than in men. This is simply not true. Studies show that more women than men die within a year of having a first heart attack. Women are two to three times more likely than men to die following heart-bypass surgery, and more women than men die each year from congestive heart failure.

In fact, women may suffer from a completely different type of heart disease than men, according to Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, which is not yet fully understood and harder to detect, and therefore can often remain undiagnosed until it is too late.

The good news is that there are only a few causes of heart disease that are out of our control, such as genetic predisposition, family history and aging. The rest is a matter of choice. Even small lifestyle improvements can make a significant difference. Weight control, good nutrition, regular exercise and stress reduction are all part of that. Each one of these is fully achievable for everyone with enough commitment and willingness to make the necessary efforts. Raising awareness is a good start, but it doesn’t end there.

For more information on heart-healthy living, please go to the “Eating Smart for a Healthy Heart“  section of the “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” blog.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

According to the Social Issues Research Center (SIRC), a non-profit institute specializing in global socio-cultural trends, attractive children are more popular with classmates and teachers and on average do better in school. Attractive applicants have better job opportunities and get promoted faster. One study found that in America taller men earned about $600 more per inch than their shorter peers. Attractive people are convicted of crimes less often or receive shorter prison sentences. The list goes on and on. So, it is not at all surprising that good looks play such a big role in our lives.

When you ask people what characteristics make someone attractive, most will say that a good-looking person is slender and fit. This applies to both sexes but in particular to women. Slimness and beauty are so much identified with one another that it seems almost natural to think this way. Historically speaking, it is not. In fact, today’s beauty ideals are relatively new.

Prior to the 20th century, attractive women were quite curvy. A classical Renaissance painting, titled “Three Graces” by Raffael (1505), reflects the beauty ideal of that time. By our standards, those ladies look rather overweight. The same goes for the so-called “Rubens figures,” named after the famous Dutch artist’s many paintings of nude, fleshy women.

Historians have pointed out that for our ancestors being well fed was a sign of wealth and status because only the well-off could afford an abundance of food, while the poor had little to eat and looked thin and haggard. Today, the situation is reversed: Weight problems mostly affect the lower class, while the upper crust spends millions on diets and fitness programs to stay slim and look youthful.

It is quite fascinating to see how the perception of attractiveness has changed over time. One common denominator, however, seems that beauty ideals were never attainable for most people because they were so unrealistic. Especially women have nearly always faced the impossible: Whether the fashion of the day called for a classical “hourglass” figure (equal size of hip and bust, narrow waist), an athletic look (muscular, tight pelvis, big bust) or “Barbie” type body (slim, big bust, tight pelvis, long legs), the vast majority of women was never able to measure up.

Today’s demands seem higher than ever. “Thanks to the media, we have become accustomed to extremely rigid and uniform standards of beauty,” says Kate Fox who writes for SIRC. “The current media ideal of thinness for women is achievable by less than 5 percent of the female population.” Because TV ads, billboards, magazines, etc. bombard us with images of beautiful people all the time, “they make exceptional good looks seem real, normal and attainable,” she says. But that’s an illusion and it makes people terribly insecure about their appearance.

And even attractive folks can be insecure about their looks and feel pressed to maintain or enhance what nature has given them. Studies have shown that beauty and self-esteem don’t always correlate.

Statistically, women tend to be more critical of their appearance than men. Most females don’t seem to be satisfied with what they see in the mirror, at least not without makeup. Men have a better self-image and even tend to over-estimate their attractiveness. Gay men are more concerned about how they look than straight men, but lesbians seem to be less worried than heterosexual women, according to the SIRC study.

What’s considered beautiful may differ from country to country and culture to culture, but increasingly there is a global trend to follow the Western standards. In one study that involved young women from around the world, almost all participants named celebrities from Hollywood as their role models for attractiveness. Being skinny, tall, with long hair and perfect teeth and elegantly dressed in Western-style clothing ranked highest on the list of beauty ideals. “The ideals of the ‘beauty culture’ in the industrialized world are rapidly spreading through the remotest areas, affecting the way of life and the sensibility of all, regardless of skin, religious beliefs, or cultural heritage,” says Julian Robinson, fashion designer and author of “The Quest for Human Beauty” (W. W. Norton & Co Inc., 1998).

The downside is that people who don’t live up to these standards (the vast majority) are judged – and often judge themselves – as a failure. For example, prejudices against overweight people can cause especially women to develop very low self-esteem, which can leave them socially isolated and emotionally depressed. These problems are not generated by the weight problems themselves but by the widely accepted association of beauty and thinness. Struggling with weight issues from a health perspective can be hard enough. Having a social stigma attached to it makes it much worse.

While we cannot ignore the cultural standards around us, we can decide for ourselves how we respond to them. The attraction to physical beauty will always be part of our socio-cultural landscape with implications on status, acceptance and suitability as a mate. But that doesn’t mean we have to surrender to it like an oppressive force that prevents us from accepting ourselves as we are in every shape or form.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

“Earlier research had found that certain diets – in particular those with very little carbohydrate – work better than others. Diet books also often guide consumers to adopt a particular type of meal plan. But there hasn’t been a consensus among scientists,” Dr. Bray said in an interview with Reuters Health (1/30/2012).

For the study, several hundred overweight and obese people were assigned in equal groups to four different diets: (1) Average protein, low fat and higher carbs; (2) high protein, low fat and higher carbs; (3) average protein, high fat and lower carbs; (4) and high protein, high fat and lower carbs. All diet styles were designed to allow for an energy deficit of about 750 calories per day.

The participants were weighed after six months and again after two years. The researchers found that, although most lost weight and managed to keep at least a few pounds off for two years, “there were no differences in weight loss or fat reductions between the diets.”

The study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also determined that stick-to-itiveness was a crucial factor for the success of any of the diet regimens – but also one of the hardest to achieve. “The major predictor for weight loss was adherence,” said Dr. Bray. “Those participants who adhered better, lost more weight than those who did not.”

While these study results should not come as a major surprise, they are not necessarily welcome news for the diet- and weight loss industry. After all, Americans spend billions of dollars annually in a highly competitive market of weight loss programs and dieting ideas. Could the ultimate solution be as simple as eating less and burning off more calories for the rest of your life?

Not quite, according to Dr. Scott Olson, a practitioner of alternative medicine and author of “Runner’s Soul.” “Using calories as a way to measure what you should be eating can only take you so far,” he says. The reason is that you are not a calorimeter, you are a living being and not some laboratory tool. Something happens when you consume carbohydrates that is different from what happens when you eat protein or fats – regardless of calories.”

Dr. Olson sees focusing exclusively on calories regardless of their source as a misguided approach because it misses out on other important issues. “Calories don’t matter as much as blood sugar, especially when you are talking about weight loss. To lose weight, yes, you need to burn more calories than you are consuming, but you also have to keep your blood sugar from spiking too high and causing your body to store that extra energy as fat,” he said.

Dr. Bray and his fellow-researchers would agree that not all diets offer the same health benefits, even if they are comparatively effective in terms of weight loss. For that matter, Dr. Bray favors the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which is endorsed by the National Institute of Health (NIH).

In my own practice as a dietitian and health counselor, I have always preached that calorie restriction for weight loss must go hand in hand with high quality nutrition. That may require cutting back on portion sizes but also loading up on important nutrients. In the end, I want my clients not just to be thinner but all around healthier. And that’s why I also want to know where their calories come from.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Excessive snacking and overeating are common responses to stress. When feelings of anxiety and discomfort persist, food can offer much needed relief – especially the kind we call ‘comfort food.’ Scientists believe, however, that there is more to the stress-food connection than a simple inability to stay away from the munchies.

Stress itself is not necessarily the problem. In fact, experiencing stress is a natural response without which we would not have survived as a species for long. Stress is our body’s way to protect us from danger. In emergency situations, the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol allow us to focus better, react faster and work harder than we normally would be able to. In extreme cases, stress hormones can enable us to react almost without thinking as if on autopilot, a process also known as “fight-or-flight” response, which can be a lifesaver.

But these mechanisms are only designed to deal effectively with short-term events. If the perception of danger continues unabatedly, our own natural defenses can eventually turn against us. Especially in situations where neither fight nor flight responses are possible, enduring continuously high levels of stress can cause serious damage to our physical and mental well-being in multiple ways. Over time, this can lead to a dangerous form of chronic stress, a condition so widespread and so severe, it has become one of the greatest health threats of our time.

“Stress can mean facing each day ravenously hungry, adding weight gain to [people’s] list of worries,” says Dr. Elissa Epel, a professor of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. “While the immediate response to acute stress can be a temporary loss of appetite, […] for some people, chronic stress can be tied to an increase in appetite and stress-induced weight gain. The problem,” she says, “lies within our neuroendocrine system, a brain-to-body connection that harkens to evolutionary times and which helped our distant ancestors to survive. This system still activates a series of hormones whenever we feel threatened.”

For instance, the stress hormone, cortisol, is responsible for replenishing the body with nutrients even after the stress-inducing causes have passed. As cortisol levels rise, our appetite for food increases. While the hormone itself does not make fat, chronically elevated cortisol levels can have a variety of negative health effects, including a decrease in insulin sensitivity, growing insulin resistance, reduced kidney function, hypertension and weakening of the immune system.

“The fuel our muscles need during fight or flight is sugar – one reason we crave carbohydrates when we are stressed,” says Dr. Riccardo Perfetti, an endocrinologist and director of the outpatient diabetes program at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. “To move the sugar from our blood to our muscles requires insulin, the hormone that opens the gates to the cells and lets the sugar in. And high levels of sugar and insulin set the stage for the body to store fat,” he explains.

To better control these negative effects from stress responses, experts recommend regular exercise, not only to burn calories but also to enhance the body’s production of biochemicals that can counterbalance the concentration of stress hormones.

In times of heightened stress, the worst thing people can do is “sit and stew in frustration and anger without expending any of the calories or food stores that would be used in a physical fight out of stress or danger,” says Dr. Shawn Talbott, professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Utah and author of “The Cortisol Connection.”

The best de-stressors are eating a balanced diet, getting sufficient amounts of sleep, taking breaks for relaxation and rejuvenation, avoiding stimulants like caffeine, tobacco and alcohol, and spending time with supportive family members and friends.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

The newly adopted nutrition standards are largely based on recommendations by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies and are designed to help in the fight against childhood obesity, which is now affecting 17 percent of children living in the U.S.

Under the revised rules, all meals served in school cafeterias will have upper and lower limits of calories, which vary with each age group. Kindergarteners to fifth-graders will receive 550 to 650 calories per meal, 6th to 8th graders about 700 calories, and 12th graders up to 850 calories.

The extra costs for better nutritional quality come to about $6.8 billion over the next five years, according to government estimates. “Schools are definitely going to be challenged by the additional costs of meeting the new rules,” says Dianne Pratt-Heaver, a spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association (SNA), a non-profit organization that represents school cafeteria vendors and operators. The government will pay schools six cents per meal on top of the current rate, which is not nearly enough to cover expenses, according to the SNA. The school lunch program provides daily meals to about 32 million students, often for free or at a reduced price.

Regardless, Ms. Pratt-Heaver says, her organization approves of the new policies. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly known as the American Dietetic Association) has also signaled its support. “Given the realities of federal, state and local budgets, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is committed to leading the creative collaborations that will be needed to implement changes in the school food program,” said Sylvia A. Escott-Stump, a Registered Dietitian and President of the Academy in an official statement by the organization.

The new regulations mark the first overhaul of the school lunch program since the 1990s and will gradually be phased in over the next three year. It was not an easy task, considering the oftentimes vehement opposition from food manufacturers, which culminated in last year’s controversy over whether pizza (or rather the tomato paste topping) should qualify as a vegetable serving. So far, it does, at least legally.

Also somewhat unresolved remains a dispute over the nutritional benefits of potatoes. The National Potato Council (NPC) has voiced strong objections to any attempts to limit servings of potatoes in school lunches, including French fries. “We still feel like the potato is downplayed in favor of other vegetables in the new guidelines,” said Mark Szymanski, a spokesperson for the NPC. “It seems the department still considers the potato a second-class vegetable.”

There is some reason for that. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, which followed over 120,000 people for up to 20 years to find out what kinds of food affected their weight, potatoes were found to rank among the greatest weight boosters.

There is a very strong hypothesis that potatoes in particular lead to weight gain, says Professor Walter Willett, an Epidemiologist at Harvard and lead author of the study report. The reason is that potatoes are consumed fully cooked and rapidly broken down into sugar. Sugar is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and eliminated by insulin, which leaves us hungry again after just a few hours. Particularly problematic, Dr. Willett says, are potatoes made into French fries and potato chips, “because they’re designed to make us overeat.”

Fried potatoes are also much higher in calorie and fat content than the steamed or baked varieties because of the oil used in the process. While one baked medium-size potato carries about 110 calories and virtually no fat, a medium-size serving of French fries has about 380 calories and 19 grams of fat.

Calories and fat, of course, are not the only issues. High levels of sodium are of equally great concern. While a medium-size potato contains about 10 mg of sodium (without added salt), a medium-size order of French fries comes with a whopping 270 mg.

Worries about sodium content have also fueled the debate over tomato paste on pizza. While tomatoes in their natural form are almost sodium-free, processed tomatoes like tomato paste, canned tomato sauce and ketchup can have over 1000 mg of sodium per serving (100g). High levels of sodium are known to cause a number of negative health effects, including heart disease and high blood pressure.

As a dietitian and grandmother of kindergarteners and gradeschoolers, I obviously support the changes the new guidelines are trying to achieve. However, much work remains to be done before all school children can receive the quality nutrition they need to grow up healthy and succeed at learning.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

“Some people’s New Year’s resolutions are so broad that they’re often unattainable,” says Leslie Fink, a Registered Dietitian and contributing writer for Weight Watchers. “When expectations are set too high, it doesn’t take much to throw a person off.” Instead of aiming for a perfect score, she advises, people should be content with 80 percent of their initial objectives. That by itself would qualify as a great success.

How we manage our aspirations in pursuit of our goals is critical either way. In fact, there are physiological reasons why we feel gratified or disappointed when we succeed or fall short of our expectations. A release of a neurotransmitter, called dopamine, is triggered in our brain when our intentions are fulfilled, causing a pleasant sensation of satisfaction and well-being, according to Dr. David Rock, Director of the NeuroLeadership Institute and author of “Your Brain at Work.”

Unfortunately, this mechanism works also in the other direction, and even more so: “When our expectations are not met, […] our negative feelings are much stronger than the good feelings we get when expectations are exceeded,” says Dr. Rock. “When we don’t hit our expectations, our brain doesn’t just get slightly unhappy, it sends out a message of danger and threat.”

In other words, as humans we generally tend to be optimistic (and oftentimes overoptimistic) about our prospects but are more afflicted when they end up in failure. The trick is not to get stuck in the negative emotions, even if they initially dominate.

Being able to build on the successes you already had is crucial for staying motivated. Take your cues from what worked and what didn’t and find out what made the difference. Then, if you fail or are about to fail, put a plan into action you may call “resolution revival,” suggests Dawn Jackson Blatner, a Registered Dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute. “Evaluate where you’ve been and where you want to go,” she says, “and make sure your initial goal was realistic.”

If you expected too much of yourself, “chop up your resolution into little pieces,” as Blatner puts it. Small steps are much more manageable and they eventually add up to greater achievements. If you are continuously able to meet your (somewhat scaled back) expectations, you will gain more confidence over time and can set the bar higher as you go.

Being realistic about your abilities and limitations also includes to learn from your past mistakes. Don’t make the same resolutions year after year, says Blatner. Rather, ask yourself what you can do differently from hereon in. Also, keep your eye on the larger picture: You are not trying to perform a quick fix (at least, you shouldn’t) but to make lasting lifestyle changes.

Last but not least, do not expect that losing weight, getting back in shape and looking more attractive is going to solve every other issue you may be dealing with in your life. Being thinner does not necessarily turn you into the person you idealize in your fantasies. Don’t listen to all the “testimonials” from people on TV claiming their entire lives have been turned around after they lost weight.

“People expect a lot from weight loss, things that weight loss alone can’t deliver,” warns Dr. Lee Kern, Clinical Director of Structure House, a residential weight management facility in Durham, North Carolina. “And then they learn the hard way that success and happiness aren’t linked to a number on a scale,” he says.

Identifying your real goals and pursuing them in realistic ways will make it much more likely for you to stay on track. If your motives are misguided, the messages you give your body will be equally confusing.

“The first thing I always ask people is why is this the right time for you to lose weight,” says Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, Professor of Psychiatry and Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and author of “The Real You Diet.” If they say they’re happy with their lives but have hypertension – great. If they’re losing weight just to be happier, then we’ve got to talk. Happiness isn’t a size 2.”

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

The survey found that young adults and especially young women were susceptible to mental illness to a degree that it substantially interfered with their lives. SAMHSA defines mental illness as “diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorders.”

For the study, SAMHSA surveyed over 67,500 participants aged 12 and older in all parts of the United States. The results showed that almost 2 million teenagers experienced at least one bout of depression, which is defined as a period lasting at least two weeks. Nearly 9 million adult Americans had serious thoughts of suicide, with 2.5 million making suicide plans and 1.1 million making an actual attempt.

The study results came as a surprise, according to Peter Delany, Director of SAMHSA’s Office of Applied Studies. “We all know people who have had a depression or anxiety disorder,” he said, “but this is a pretty big number.” He said he was somewhat reluctant to speculate on the reasons for these developments, which are not easy to pinpoint. “The recent economic downturn may be a factor for some, but these conditions are multifactorial – there are biological issues, there are social issues and also personal issues.”

Delany thinks that many people who are struggling don’t seek treatment because of the stigma that is often attached to mental illness. Many also lack insurance coverage to pay for their care. According to SAMHSA, less than 40 percent of those with a mental illness receive health services. That’s extremely unfortunate, said Delany. “We know with the appropriate use of medication and with good treatment people can recover and go on to lead very healthy and productive lives,” he said.

Other experts agree. “Mental illness is a treatable problem,” according to Dr. Ihsan Salloum, Director of the Addiction Psychiatry and Psychiatric Comorbidity Programs at the University of Miami School of Medicine. “[But] there is a gap between the need and how many people reach treatment,” he added.

SAMHSA also investigated connections between mental illness and substance abuse such as use of cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin. In its report, the agency concluded that people who abused drugs or alcohol showed substantially higher rates of mental illness than those who did not – 20 percent versus 6 percent. Teenagers who suffered from extended periods of depression were twice as likely to develop drug problems than their peers who did not have such experiences.

As alarming as the SAMHSA report sounds, it is also somewhat vague because it compiles a number of different issues that may be connected but are by no means identical. For instance, thoughts of suicide may not always be symptoms of mental illness but can result from deep despair. Hopelessness is not necessarily a mental dysfunction but can be a conceivable reaction in the face of extraordinarily dire situations. Alcohol and drug abuse are far too widespread among the general population to label them as symptoms of actual mental illness. People use them for recreational purposes and often, of course, to numb themselves in times of heightened stress and anxiety.

Still, the report should give us pause and have us ask how dysfunctional our lives must have become to cause so much suffering especially among the young who are supposed to look to the future with optimism and confidence. Hardly a promising picture for all of us.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

While the need for more programs for preventing and treating childhood obesity is obvious, experts say that creating them poses considerable challenges. “Few proven models exist for helping children and adolescents to achieve and maintain a healthier weight, and researchers do not even fully understand the factors that contributed to the rapid rise in childhood obesity in recent years,” writes Reed Abelson in an article for the New York Times, titled “Learning to be Lean” (1/17/2012).

Insurance companies are developing new policies to determine treatment coverage of childhood obesity. One insurer, Wellpoint, is working with pediatricians by offering training in obesity treatment and connecting them with dietitians. And Weight Watchers has announced an upcoming program specifically designed to meet the needs of overweight children and teenagers.
Experts agree that for the fight against childhood obesity to be successful, the focus must be on the greater environment today’s children live in, including families, the media, schools and communities.

Parents
The home is the place where children first learn and develop their eating and lifestyle habits. Parents decide what kind of food is being brought into the house, how it is prepared and how much is served at the dinner table. Parents influence through their own behavior what lifestyles their kids adopt, how physically active they are, how much time they spend watching TV, and how much sleep they get.

For these reasons and others, diet- and lifestyle counseling and education should first be directed towards the parents, according to Dr. Adam P. Knowlden and Dr. Manoj Sharma, both pediatricians at the University of Cincinnati and co-authors of a systematic review of clinical studies of pediatric obesity. Unfortunately, the need for educating parents of overweight children is often difficult to meet. Even those who seek counseling (and by far too few do) don’t always have access to the right resources.

Media
Parents are oftentimes defenseless against outside influences, especially the daily onslaught of advertising by food companies that spend billions on TV ads and product placements geared towards children, according to Dr. Victor Strasburger, a professor of pediatrics at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and lead author of a study report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), titled “Children, Adolescents and Advertising.”

“It’s not that easy when you are up against Ronald McDonald,” says Dr. Strasburger, referring to McDonald’s iconic clown character that is popular with many kids. “In fact, it is inherently unfair and deceptive to advertise to children who are too young and too impressionable to distinguish between advertising and factual reporting,” he says.

On average, children watch up to 10,000 food and snack commercials every year, according to the AAP. The best thing parents can hope for is limiting the time their kids are exposed to television and other advertising outlets, which, of course, is easier said than done.

In response to the AAP report, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has asked food manufacturers to regulate their marketing efforts to children but has stopped short of asking for any binding policies. Critics say that calling for voluntary self-regulation by the industry is not sufficient to change the existing advertising practices.

Schools
Despite of the government’s more recent efforts to improve the National School Lunch Program with “The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,” many schools across the country still don’t have the necessary resources for facilities and personnel to meet the nutritional needs of their students. Due to the downturn of the economy in years past, millions of children depend on the free or subsidized meals they receive at their schools, which in many cases is the only food source available to them. School officials say the increase of federal reimbursement for school lunches by 6 cents per meal does not nearly cover the costs for the growing demand.

So, vending machines filled with sodas and snack foods will not disappear from campuses as long as schools depend on corporate funding for many of their programs and services. And physical Education (PE) is still not available in all schools because of budget limits. The bottom line is that too many schools continue to fail doing their part in the fight against childhood obesity.

Communities
When Michelle Obama started the “Let’s Move” initiative, she put much emphasis on the role of communities. In general, the response was strong and countless grassroots movements have been brought to life all over the country ever since. What is sorely lacking, however, are important changes in our infrastructure. Due to budget crunches, more public parks and playgrounds are being closed than opened. Many cities don’t have bike paths or safe areas to run. Low-income neighborhoods are often too dangerous to let kids play outside or even walk to and from school. In a nutshell: Too many communal environments are not designed to allow kids to be physically active and stay healthy and fit.

Of course, there are many more factors to be considered if we are to deal with the childhood obesity crisis effectively. But these are some of the central issues in this complex task. Education of the public, regulation of industry, funding of school lunch programs and other health services for the young as well as building community support systems and infrastructure are all crucial elements in this fight. Addressing all of them in a comprehensive manner might get us somewhere, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Ms. Deen, who is widely known for her unapologetic preferences for heavy cooking styles, says she knew of her medical condition for about three years but decided to keep it private. Critics have been quick to question her motives, suspecting she didn’t come forward out of fear of losing her lucrative show on the Food Network, which has millions of followers.

Despite of her diagnosis, Ms. Deen, 64, doesn’t blame herself for causing her illness through unhealthy eating habits. In an interview with The New York Times (1/18/2012), she said she did not plan on changing her lifestyle or cooking but will consider reducing portion sizes of the unhealthful foods. “I’ve always preached moderation,” she said.

Others disagree with that assertion. In a widely publicized interview with TV Guide, one of her fellow-celebrity chefs, Anthony Bourdain, called her “the worst, most dangerous person” on the Food Network. “There is no denying that Paula’s food has a lot of what we call the deadly triangle: fat, sugar and salt,” said Geralyn Spollett, Director of Education at the American Diabetes Association in an interview with the Times.

Ms. Deen has long defended herself against such criticism. “I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills, she said in an interview with The New York Post. Her supporters concur. “She feels like she cooks for ‘real people,’ and for better or worse, that is how many people in this country choose to eat,” writes Virginia Willis, a food writer in Atlanta, Georgia.

All of this may be true. Still, it is one thing to acknowledge people’s budget limits, but it is another matter entirely to promote cooking styles and eating habits that are known to be outright unhealthy.

Health problems such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are most widespread among those with low incomes and less education. These are the men, women and children who would greatly benefit from being offered better alternatives to their existing diet choices. Instead, Ms. Deen promotes a message that willfully disregards the warnings of health experts and in fact sabotages efforts to reverse the worst public health crisis in our history. As such, she is part of the problem.

Even more disturbing is Ms. Deen’s newest endeavor. As reported in the Times, she has now accepted the role of a paid spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company and the maker of a drug named “Victoza,” a diabetes medication. In this position, she will spearhead an advertising campaign titled “Diabetes in a New Light.” It is quite ironic to see someone who has long decried her critics as “elitists” advertise a drug that costs about $500 a month.

One might argue that Ms. Deen knows how to make lemonade out of lemons. But before you say, “good for her,” let’s think for a moment about the implication of the message she’s giving out now: Don’t let anyone tell you what to eat and how to live your life – and if it makes you sick, well, there is always Victoza (if you can afford it). It would be more commendable if she were honest with her fans and use her clout to promote healthier diet- and lifestyle choices that make these kinds of drugs less necessary in the first place.

For Ms. Deen herself this could be a teachable moment. Why not open the next show with a line like this: “My dear viewers – for years I have promoted cooking techniques and eating styles I thought were tasty and affordable. Now I know that eating this way has made me seriously ill. I’ve learned from my mistakes. That is why, from hereon in, I want to invite you to join me in my new efforts to cook lighter and eat healthier, so that you don’t have to suffer the same consequences.”

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Dry skin is extremely common, especially in the cold season, according to Dr. Barney Kenet, a dermatologist at Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. There are probably close to 100 million Americans who go through the experience every year. Dry skin problems are usually easy to treat, but they can become more than a skin-deep health issue if you don’t pay attention.

Don’t take dry skin lightly, warns Dr. Claude Burton, professor of dermatology at Duke University School of Medicine. “Your intact, healthy skin is your body’s primary defense against infections. If you let your skin get dried out and cracked, you could be giving all sorts of bacteria a way in. That can lead to more serious problems.”

Healthy skin is coated with a thin layer of natural molecules of fat, keeping it moist and smooth. Dry, cold air, harsh soaps, chlorinated water, itchy fabrics and misused cosmetics can strip away these fatty oils, leaving the skin unprotected. In many cases, the causes can also be internal such as a genetic predisposition or other medical conditions, including diabetes, psoriasis, hypothyroidism or malnutrition. If untreated, dry skin can lead to dermatitis – a form of inflammation.

“Dry air is probably the most common cause of dry skin,” says Dr. Kenet. “It draws the moisture right out of the skin. Another big problem lies indoors – the dry heat churned out by your furnace. To counteract dry heat, turn down the thermostat and use a humidifier,” he recommends.

As good as they may feel, you should also limit your hot showers to a few minutes per day. “Prolonged exposure to water, especially hot water, can wash away the natural oils that protect your skin. If you get out of the bath or shower and your skin feels tight, it’s dried out,” says Dr. Kenet. “Also, wash with a mild, fragrance-free soap. The best choice is a mild skin cleanser rather than soap,” he advises.

Certain medications can impact the health of your skin as well. For instance, some drugs for high blood pressure can have diuretic side effects. Age is another factor. Dry skin problems can especially plague older women because of hormonal changes. “As many as 75 percent of people over 65 have dry skin, according to Dr. Vesna Petronic-Rosic, professor of medicine and director of the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic at the University of Chicago Medical School.

Besides lathering on moisturizers, you can also take a number of dietary measures to fight skin dryness. The simplest and best way to keep your skin from drying out is to stay hydrated. Besides drinking lots of water, you should add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Preferably choose items with high-water content such as melons, apples, oranges, celery and cucumbers. Some experts say that drinking large amounts of water alone does not affect the skin all that much. “The water we drink is processed internally and does not impact the look and feel of the skin. It’s the skin’s outer layer that is essential for keeping moisture in – not the other way around,” says Michele Murphy, a Registered Dietitian at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center. On the other hand, diuretic drinks like tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages promote drying of the skin.

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids offer great benefits for your skin, too. They are richly present in cold-water fish like salmon, tuna and trout. If you are not much of a fish eater, you can substitute with flaxseed oil, avocado and walnuts.

Make sure you get plenty of vitamin C throughout the winter months. Besides strengthening your immune system, vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen in the body. Collagen allows the skin to absorb moisture.

Vitamin A, found in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, can help to repair skin damage. Foods rich in carotene – carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and pumpkin – are also useful in this regard.

Vitamin E does not only boost the healing of skin tissue but also enhances moisturizing and bolsters defense against UV damage. Good sources for vitamin E include nuts, seeds, avocado, wheat germ, flaxseed oil and broccoli.

Oysters, crab, lean turkey, beef and beans are rich providers of zinc, a mineral that is especially useful for healing wounds and cracked skin.

There are lots of good reasons to keep your skin from drying – not just your looks but also your health. Your skin is your body’s largest organ and it deserves great care and protection.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

One of those late pursuits that is rapidly gaining in popularity is gourmet dining, both at home and at restaurants. Interest in advanced cooking classes has never been greater, not to mention the high ratings for food shows and competitions between celebrity chefs on TV. The auditoria of culinary institutes around the world are filled with students in their sixties, seventies and beyond, eager to familiarize themselves with the latest trends and techniques in the world of haute cuisine.

Fine wining and dining has always been a prerogative of those who like (and can afford) to indulge in the better things life has to offer, but today it’s a whole different ballgame. In an article for the New York Times (12/28/2011), Charles Isherwood, a food writer, describes his parents (both retired) as “foodies” for whom eating well has become their lives’ mission. “My parents practically live to eat,” he writes. “At home [they] eat out three or so times a week. But when they come to New York, we sample the city’s restaurants in five-day, two-big-meals-a-day binges that have become something of a legend.”

Of course, besides being tremendously pleasurable, fine dining also conveys an aura of culture and sophistication (not to mention exclusiveness due to oftentimes ridiculous pricing). However, many food lovers also seem to think that eating at the best restaurants or cooking with the most expensive ingredients automatically means their diet is healthy. But this is not necessarily true.

Gourmet chefs typically focus on taste and presentation. Calorie counts and fat contents are not their primary concern. The individual portions may look small compared to lower-end eateries with their “all-you-can-eat” value offers, but if you order three, four or more courses, you end up with a similarly large amount of food in your stomach.

You may say, well, it’s only on rare occasions that you go all out like that. But what about eating out three times a day when you travel? What about a cruise where limitless access to great food is one of the perks?

The unfortunate truth is that as you get older and have more time and funds to indulge a little more than you used to, your metabolism begins to slow down. In fact, it slows down about 5% to 10% every decade or so, beginning in your mid-twenties. This means that the typical American loses between 20% and 40% of metabolic power over the course of his or her lifespan, according to Dr. John Berardi, best-selling author of “The Metabolism Advantage.”

The reasons are easy to understand: Your metabolism converts calories into energy. When your calorie intake is higher than your energy expenditure, weight gain occurs. As you grow older, it becomes harder to maintain a healthy calorie-energy balance because your lifestyle probably becomes more sedentary and your physical activities get less strenuous. Another result is age-related muscle loss. Diminishing muscle mass means that fewer calories are being burned off and your metabolism slows down. While this is an inevitable, natural process, there are things you can do to prevent it from happening too fast.

The best way to counteract muscle loss is weight training. Lifting weights does not only add muscle, it also burns off calories even while you rest afterwards. Doing aerobics, of course, also helps with calorie burn. People who are said to have a faster metabolism are probably just more physically active all day.

Not surprisingly, adherence to healthy eating habits also matters more with age. Your calorie requirements may go down, but your need for high-quality nutrients remains the same throughout your life. Simple but nutrient-dense foods are the best choices for a healthy, age-appropriate diet – such as fresh fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, whole grains, fish, lean meats and low-fat dairy products.

So, before you try out your next culinary sensation downtown or at home, keep in mind that your health is too important to throw all caution to the wind, just because you can.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

For this, they established a number of prognostic indices to predict the life expectancy in older and terminally ill patients. The main purpose of this project is to provide doctors, care givers as well as patients and their family members with information that can help prevent overtesting and overtreatment.

The UCSF team has also posted an interactive website online, called “ePrognosis.org,” which can be used to calculate a person’s mortality risk based on specific data, including age, health conditions, cognitive status, functional ability, etc.

“This is the first time such tools have been assembled for physicians in a single online location,” wrote Paula Span of the New York Times who reported on the project (1/11/2012) after a review was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association last week.

Among experts, responses have so far been mostly positive. “This kind of synthesis is very helpful for [health care] providers, researchers and some patients,” said Dr. Susan L. Mitchell, a geriatrician at Harvard University and researcher at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston who was quoted in the Times article.

“A more frank discussion of prognosis in the elderly is sorely needed,” said Dr. Sei Lee, a geriatrician at UCSF and one of the authors of the review. A more accurate assessment of a patient’s life expectancy could help doctors and families evaluate, for example, whether an older person with a terminal disease should continue receiving treatments that may cause more pain and discomfort than relief, according to Dr. Lee. It may also be useful in determining how vigilant a patient has to be in observing and maintaining certain treatment- and lifestyle measures.

Since no calculation of life expectancy – other than based on data collected by U.S. Census Bureau – has so far existed, there is now hope that relatively easily accessible assessment tools like ePrognosis will be able to better assist health care providers with their decision making process.

In fact, many clinical decisions for older and terminally ill patients include considerations of life expectancy. But “at present, physicians are often shooting in the dark when they recommend tests, treatments and medications for older patients. […] Even when interventions do work, the benefits can be years away. Doctors have no easy way to know whether their elderly patients will live long enough to experience them. The potential for complications and side effects, however, is immediate,” wrote Ms. Span.

While it is true that with declining life expectancy some treatments may do more harm than good, it is not altogether clear whether accurate predictions can ever be made for an individual patient, cautioned Dr. Kenneth Covinsky, professor at the Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics at UCSF. “The accuracy of prognostic indices is often tested under ideal and controlled conditions,” he said. “When you see a research report of a prognostic index, you see how well it did in a group of patients specified by the researchers. But how accurate will the index be in your patient? […] Your patients are never quite the same as the patients in the research study.”

As a prognostic aid, programs like ePrognosis may turn out to be quite valuable, “if used to supplement clinical judgment,” said Dr. Covinsky. “Clinicians (and patients too) now have easy access to these prognostic indices. […] But perhaps the danger of ePrognosis is that it is too easy. In a matter of minutes, you can input a few elements of patient data and the calculator will spit out a probability of survival,” he added.

Some critics have pointed out that the very idea of basing decisions in medical care on calculations such as these may be a slippery slope. They say that assessing a patient’s life expectancy should never be the starting point of any form of treatment. Dr. Lee freely admitted there are potential problems. Because it is not clear whether calculating prognostic indices will ultimately improve patient care in clinical settings, he said, the researchers stopped short of urging widespread use at this time, according to the Times.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

One of those late pursuits that is rapidly gaining in popularity is gourmet dining, both at home and at restaurants. Interest in advanced cooking classes has never been greater, not to mention the high ratings for food shows and competitions between celebrity chefs on TV. The auditoria of culinary institutes around the world are filled with students in their sixties, seventies and beyond, eager to familiarize themselves with the latest trends and techniques in the world of haute cuisine.

Fine wining and dining has always been a prerogative of those who like (and can afford) to indulge in the better things life has to offer, but today it’s a whole different ballgame. In an article for the New York Times (12/28/2011), Charles Isherwood, a food writer, describes his parents (both retired) as “foodies” for whom eating well has become their lives’ mission. “My parents practically live to eat,” he writes. “At home [they] eat out three or so times a week. But when they come to New York, we sample the city’s restaurants in five-day, two-big-meals-a-day binges that have become something of a legend.”

Of course, besides being tremendously pleasurable, fine dining also conveys an aura of culture and sophistication (not to mention exclusiveness due to oftentimes ridiculous pricing). However, many food lovers also seem to think that eating at the best restaurants or cooking with the most expensive ingredients automatically means their diet is healthy. But this is not necessarily true.

Gourmet chefs typically focus on taste and presentation. Calorie counts and fat contents are not their primary concern. The individual portions may look small compared to lower-end eateries with their “all-you-can-eat” value offers, but if you order three, four or more courses, you end up with a similarly large amount of food in your stomach.

You may say, well, it’s only on rare occasions that you go all out like that. But what about eating out three times a day when you travel? What about a cruise where limitless access to great food is one of the perks?

The unfortunate truth is that as you get older and have more time and funds to indulge a little more than you used to, your metabolism begins to slow down. In fact, it slows down about 5% to 10% every decade or so, beginning in your mid-twenties. This means that the typical American loses between 20% and 40% of metabolic power over the course of his or her lifespan, according to Dr. John Berardi, best-selling author of “The Metabolism Advantage.”

The reasons are easy to understand: Your metabolism converts calories into energy. When your calorie intake is higher than your energy expenditure, weight gain occurs. As you grow older, it becomes harder to maintain a healthy calorie-energy balance because your lifestyle probably becomes more sedentary and your physical activities get less strenuous. Another result is age-related muscle loss. Diminishing muscle mass means that fewer calories are being burned off and your metabolism slows down. While this is an inevitable, natural process, there are things you can do to prevent it from happening too fast.

The best way to counteract muscle loss is weight training. Lifting weights does not only add muscle, it also burns off calories even while you rest afterwards. Doing aerobics, of course, also helps with calorie burn. People who are said to have a faster metabolism are probably just more physically active all day.

Not surprisingly, adherence to healthy eating habits also matters more with age. Your calorie requirements may go down, but your need for high-quality nutrients remains the same throughout your life. Simple but nutrient-dense foods are the best choices for a healthy, age-appropriate diet – such as fresh fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, whole grains, fish, lean meats and low-fat dairy products.

So, before you try out your next culinary sensation downtown or at home, keep in mind that your health is too important to throw all caution to the wind, just because you can.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

For the study, researchers tested 7,000 men and women over a period of 10 years for memory, vocabulary and aural and visual comprehension. The results showed an average of 3.6 percent decline in reasoning skills in both sexes at the age of 45 to 49. 65 to 70 years old men showed on average a steeper decline than women of the same age group – 9.6 versus 7.4 percent.

Since the youngest participants were 45 years old when the study began, it is possible that the deterioration of brain functions may commence even earlier, according to Dr. Archana Singh-Manoux, the leader of the research, which was co-sponsored by the Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population in France and the University College London. The results were recently published in the “British Medical Journal.”

Previous studies on age-related decline of mental health have primarily focused on people in their sixties, seventies and beyond. By limiting ourselves to a narrower scope, we may not yet have gotten the entire picture, according to Dr. Singh-Manoux. A decline of mental capacity doesn’t suddenly happen at old age. That variability exists much earlier on, she says.

Researchers still need to learn more about the risk factors that lead to progressive cognitive impairment. There is strong evidence that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is closely related to heart disease, which is typically caused by weight problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

We probably underestimate how affected the broader population may be, says Dr. Singh-Manoux. The participants in this study were drawn from a relative homogeneous pool of office workers who were well educated and, for the most part, enjoyed a comfortable life and good health. This is not necessarily a representative profile at a time when so many suffer from obesity and other lifestyle-related health issues.

Although the causes of mental decline are not yet fully understood, experts recommend a number of measures that may not prevent but at least slow down the process. These include regular physical exercise, healthy nutrition, weight control, intellectual activity, avoidance of smoking and alcohol/drug abuse, stress reduction, sufficient amounts of sleep as well as social activities and supportive relationships.

A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic concluded that engaging in stimulating mental activities through reading, discussion, playing challenging games and other interactions can help decrease the risk of cognitive impairment significantly. This does not only apply to the elderly. To prevent even mild cognitive impairment (MCI), it is important to “exercise” the brain at any age.

“This study… demonstrates that aging does not need to be a passive process,” says Dr. Yonas Geda, a Mayo Clinic neuropsychiatrist and lead author of the study report. “By simply engaging in cognitive exercise, you can protect against future memory loss.”

To what degree we actually hold the key to our mental health remains to be seen. Preserving our physical health as best as we can is certainly a good strategy. Baby boomers have long been spending millions to save their sagging skin, fix their crow’s feet and plump their lips. As they reach old age, they finally are beginning to turn to brain boosters to fight memory loss, writes Virginia Anderson of WebMD in an article titled “Seven Brain Boosters to Prevent Memory Loss.” In fact, the process may begin much earlier in life and people need to pay attention before it’s too late.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Of course, fitness resorts have been around for a long time, especially in California, but today’s versions are much more intense and physically demanding. Gone are the days where “women padded around in slippers and pink robes, eating low-calorie meals from vegetables grown in the backyard and engaging in calisthenics and leg lifts,” writes Jennifer Conlin, a frequent contributor to the New York Times “Travel” section (1/1/2012), as she reports about her own experiences at one of the “Biggest Loser” resorts.

Retreats specializing in weight loss and fitness now call their programs “university,” “camp” or even “boot camp.” Nobody should expect a relaxing time when signing up for daily three-hour exercise classes, six-hour hikes and evening lectures on wholesome nutrition, lean cooking styles and lifelong weight management.

While this may not sound like a dream vacation, business is booming. In fact, demand is growing fast across all age groups despite of the sweat, pain, hunger, exhaustion and also the oftentimes extremely high costs involved. A week-long stay can set you back between two and eight thousand dollars. In return you get unlimited use of workout facilities, personal coaching, counseling sessions, three small but healthy meals, lots of education and, best of all, unconditional support from everyone around you.

The latter may be what makes these retreats most attractive – and most useful. Absence of a supportive environment ranks among the most common reasons for relapsing after weight loss. Team spirit, being in it together and sharing goals can do wonders for people who struggle with weight issues. By contrast, feeling isolated, ashamed, misunderstood or pitied can quickly sabotage their best efforts.

Having a well-functioning support system of family and friends can give your weight-loss efforts a big boost, says Jennifer R. Scott, who writes as a weight loss guide for About.com. “When you become truly committed to your weight loss journey, it’s perfectly reasonable – and necessary – to ask your loved ones to become committed with you.” This, of course, is not always easy. In truth, she says, the people closest to you can be your greatest “weight-loss saboteurs.” They may even add more roadblocks to your struggles. Your spouses or friends who have weight problems themselves may feel “left behind” if you succeed at losing weight and they don’t. Feelings of insecurity, jealousy and envy may arise. Or, they may feel imposed upon when asked to go along with certain changes. That’s why it can be helpful to choose a different venue as you try out new lifestyle choices, at least in the beginning.

If a “boot camp” is not your style, or you just can’t get away for long, or the expenditures are prohibitively high, you may want to consider more feasible alternatives.

You can find some face-to-face contact with like-minded “losers” who help you stay focused on your goals right in your backyard, says Scott. For instance, your local hospital may have a wellness- or lifestyle center where you can join classes and support groups for free. Or you can sign up for a “wellness plan” that gives you access to therapy facilities and other health care packages. Commercial weight loss programs often include meetings with fellow-participants in your community. And then there is still the good old YMCA/YWCA, offering classes, seminars and memberships in a vast variety of interest groups.

If all else fails, you can start your own “health club” by inviting friends, neighbors and colleagues who have similar intentions. What matters most is that you get the support you need to succeed, and that can come from many places.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

If this scenario sounds familiar to you, you are not alone. Just one week into the new year, a quarter of resolutionists will have given up, according to Tom Connellan, author or the “1 Percent Solution – How to Make Your Next 30 Days the Best Ever.” In his estimation, about 90 percent of all the promises people make to themselves are forgotten as time moves on.

So, let’s be honest: New Year’s resolutions may be a time-honored tradition, but you shouldn’t take them too seriously. Old habits don’t break easily. Stop beating yourself up and face reality. It’s not going to be different this time – or will it?

One of the main reasons why our best intentions often fail is that we rely too much on our own resolve, says Connellan. People falsely believe that they can make big changes if they are sufficiently motivated. But nothing could be further from the truth. “People only think in large terms that are often unrealistic – like losing lots of weight or making a major life change. [They] don’t realize that even positive change is uncomfortable,” he says.

The trick is not to overestimate your abilities but to accept your limitations and to begin by taking small steps in the right directions. That doesn’t mean you’re giving up on your ambitions or lose sight of your larger goals. It just means you have to find better ways to go about them.

Be aware that there is no such thing as a clean slate or a brand new start when it comes to lifestyle changes. You are who you are. Everyone brings baggage. What matters most is not to let negative experiences of the past get in your way as you move forward.

People should not expect to become a “better person” by doing this, that or the other differently, say Judith Matz and Ellen Frankel, both clinical therapists, real-life sisters and bestselling coauthors of the “Diet Surviver’s Handbook” and “Beyond a Shadow of a Diet.” “Instead of making resolutions, a better way to go is, every day, cultivate healthy practices in your life that enhance your overall being physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

In other words, don’t compartmentalize. If your goal is to lose some weight, you should also look at the larger picture. You don’t just want to get rid of a few pounds, you want to be more healthy, fit and energetic. Healthy eating and exercise will get you there, but you also need a mindset that is conducive to an all-around healthy lifestyle.

So instead of going on another dreaded diet regimen, come up with realistic resolutions this year. Forget your futile attempts and failures of the past. They only make you apprehensive and fearful of more failures. “Visualize success,” advises Shirley Archer, a fitness and wellness instructor. “How would you look and feel and what would you be able to do if you enjoyed your ideal fitness?” “Don’t be too vague or too large,” she advises, when you set out your goals. While anyone can start a diet or fitness program at any time, in her experience, it takes approximately two months for a person to change his or her mindset and make new habits stick. A few weeks of dieting and exercising may let you lose some weight, but you need a larger scope to become a healthy person, she says.

This year could be different if you take the right approach. You can choose to become the person you envision as your ideal and make the necessary changes. Or you can try once again to patch up things the way you did before, hoping for a different outcome. This is as good a time as any to decide which way you want to go. Happy New Year!

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

The crowded, confined spaces inside airplanes can turn into a breeding ground for a vast array of infectious diseases. Although most passenger jets have sophisticated filtration systems to keep airborne viruses from spreading – high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are said to capture over 99 percent of bacteria and virus-carrying particles – you still can get infected because you are in close proximity to the mouths, noses and hands of so many other people. Also, the air circulation usually gets shut down when passengers board or exit or while the plane waits for takeoff. It is during these time periods that infections can spread like wildfire.

The greatest danger comes from your immediate surroundings, like the seats in front, besides and behind you, according to a study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the journal “Emerging Infectious Diseases.” Viruses and bacteria can survive for many hours on the surfaces of seats, armrests, tray tables, remote controls and inside backseat pockets.

Your body’s natural defenses can also become compromised when you spend hours in a compressed cabin 30,000 feet up in the air. “When mucous membranes dry out [because of extremely dry air in airplanes], they are far less effective at blocking infections. High altitude can tire the body and fatigue plays a role in making people more susceptible to catching colds, too,” says Scott McCartney, a travel writer and author of “Where Germs Lurk on Planes.”

So, what can you do to protect your health while in transit? Travel expert Douglas Wright recommends to be especially aware of places where germs typically breed in a plane, including water tanks, food containers and lavatories.

Water quality on airplanes deserves more scrutiny than most passengers realize, according to Wright. People should be concerned about contamination of the water they drink in form of tea, coffee, cold water and ice cubes. Tests by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency(EPA) have found traces of E. coli in onboard water tanks in both domestically and internationally operating aircraft. Many of these tanks are refilled at foreign airports where water purity standards can be questionable, says Wright. His advice is to purchase sealed water bottles or other prepackaged liquids after clearing airport security and use those instead.

Even in-flight meals (including business- and first class) are not always beyond reproach. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that some airline catering companies had less than perfect preparation and handling standards (to put it mildly). “You never really know where your meal has been. If you’re concerned, eat beforehand and bring your own snacks,” warns Wright.

Not surprisingly, the lavatory is one of the airplane’s most hazardous germ zones. The CDC considered airplane lavatories a major danger area for the spread of diseases during the H1N1 flu and SARS epidemics. Instead of washing your hands with water from the lavatory faucet, Wright recommends to use your own hand sanitizer when returning to your seat.

Caution is also advised with regards to airline-issued pillows and blankets. Just because you find them sealed in a plastic bag does not mean they are new or have been freshly cleaned. The same goes for earphones. Although there is no evidence that passengers routinely fall ill from using these items, it is still not a bad idea to bring your own whenever possible.

No matter how many cautionary measures you are willing to take, there will always be a certain amount of risk involved when you travel – by whatever means. “Work, recreation and families have become global. Most of us have to fly,” says Dr. Judith Reichman, MD, medical advisor and contributor to “Today’s Women,” in an article titled “Germs on a Plane: Can You Get Sick Flying?” “With rare exceptions, we don’t risk serious illness. Simple hygiene, hydration and judgment can help prevent air related health problems,” she added.

Even so, there are a few precautionary measures worthwhile observing:

1. Boost your immune system by eating healthy and getting enough sleep. I also recommend taking vitamin supplements or an Airborne® tablet a few hours before travel time.

2. Stay hydrated at all times. If the quality of the water served on the plane is questionable, bring your own.

3. Clean your hands frequently with hand sanitizers, especially before touching food.

4. Disinfect tray tables, armrests and remote controls the moment you’re seated.

5. Bring your own pillow, blanket and earphones if possible.

6. Avoid using seat pockets.

7. Open the air vent above your seat and aim it directly in front of your face. It can help blow virus-carrying particles away from you.

8. Change seats, if at all possible, if you find yourself in close proximity to someone displaying cold or flu symptoms.

9. Alert crewmembers if the air circulation system does not work properly or is shut off for extended periods of time.

10. Do take all necessary precautions without becoming paranoid. If your health concerns cause you too much stress, it’s time to relax and rely on your natural immune system to do its job.

Bon voyage!

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

I understand that for the gift industry to come up with new ideas year after year must be extremely challenging. It takes true genius to invent things that are so attractive that people just can’t imagine living without them. Eventually, some of this is bound to venture into the absurd.

Don’t get me wrong. I think many of today’s popular gifts are great. I-pods, smart phones, tablets, video games (especially the ones that make you move) – I’m for all of that. I’m not opposed to nice possessions. I’ve had my share and still do. I don’t even have a personal aversion against rickshaws. Far from it. They hold plenty of dear memories for me. During my travels in India and China, rickshaw rides were often the fastest, cheapest and most convenient way to get around. Still, a rickshaw for the living room seems awfully forced.

In the movie, “The Bucket List,” which has become some sort of a cult movie among baby boomers, two cancer-ward roommates, one an insanely rich entrepreneur, the other a blue color worker (played respectively by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman), decide to go off on a last around-the-world adventure before – well, before they kick the bucket. Even the billionaire realizes that money is all he has left and it won’t buy him what he wants the most – time. All he can do is fill his remaining days with as many meaningful experiences as possible. And he goes for it. Together with his unlikely companion he discovers what life has to offer beyond material wealth. And what a difference it makes.

I myself have long realized that my experiences and memories are the only things that have lasted in my life. Most of my possessions have come and gone. Even the homes I owned only exist now in my mind as places where we built our lives as a family, where my children grew up, where we entertained friends, where my dogs were raised and buried, where the seasons came and went, marking the rhythm of time. What’s completely absent from the picture are the knickknacks accumulated and then discarded.

So, here is what’s on my wish list now and hopefully for the rest of my life:

1. I want to love and be loved
2. I want to preserve my physical health for as long as possible
3. I want to stay mentally fit
4. I want to keep my curiosity and playfulness
5. I want to continue to be financially secure
6. I want to see my family happy, healthy and prosperous
7. I want to have at least one good belly laugh a day
8. I want to be free of negative emotions like fear, anger or bitterness
9. I want to be grateful, kind, forgiving and patient
10. I want to be useful and helpful for others
11. I want my work to make a difference for the better
12. I want to take a few more rickshaw rides in far-flung places

And I want to wish you, my dear readers, happy holidays and all the best for the coming year.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Especially drinking alcoholic beverages can significantly increase calorie intake with just a few shots or sips. Many liquors are as caloric as sugary sodas. Alcohol itself is high in calories – 7 calories per gram, more than carbohydrates or protein (4 calories per gram) and almost as much as fat (9 calories per gram). This applies just to straight drinks, like beer, wine and spirits. Cocktails with added ingredients can quickly multiply the calorie content.

“If you drink, even moderately, first you do need to acknowledge the calories. They count,” said Lona Sandon, a nutritionist at the University of Texas Southwestern School of Health Professions and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

Keep in mind that calories from alcohol are “empty” calories, meaning they don’t contain any nutrients. The liver processes alcohol first to get rid of toxins, while other nutrients are put on hold. While alcohol is being metabolized, fat burning is suspended. Moreover, an increased alcohol level in your blood stream can make you feel hungry because it lowers your blood sugar. All of these factors combined are the perfect set-up for weight gain.

Another well-known fact is that alcohol diminishes one’s inhibition and self-control. That’s why the holidays are often a time when caution gets thrown to the wind with regrets to follow later.

Of course, not everyone who enjoys a drink or two develops weight problems. Scientists have not been able to consistently tie alcohol consumption to weight gain. Also, a person’s individual genetic make-up can greatly affect his or her body’s ability to process alcohol.

Gender can play a role as well. Researchers found that when men drink, they also tend to eat more food, thereby increasing their overall calorie intake through both. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to compensate for their drinking by eating less.

Naturally, it matters what kind of food or snacks you’re having with your drinks. Beer with pretzels or peanuts, or wine with cheese and crackers are popular combinations, but they can be deadly in terms of weight control.

Coffee drinks and seasonal spirits are not harmless either. Many are loaded with sugar and cream and a few gulps can quickly add up to a calorie count of a full meal. Eggnog, a traditional favorite, is a real heavy weight. A one-cup serving has about 400 calories – and who can just have one?

So, what can you do to avoid these calorie traps without spoiling your holiday spirit? Quite a bit, actually. For starters, don’t get caught off guard when alcoholic beverages are being served. If you like wine or beer, stick with it. Don’t mix with other drinks. If hard liquor is your poison, have it straight up, on the rocks or with club soda but without a lot of other stuff added. Be particularly careful with super-caloric cocktails. They are desserts in disguise. If you have eggnog or fruit punch, I recommend taking them “naked,” meaning no extra toppings like chocolate or whipped cream.

As with everything, moderation is key. If you have been reading my columns regularly, you know one of my favorite mottos: “Nothing is forbidden, but everything counts.” Observing this little piece of wisdom is even more important during the holiday season. Cheers!

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

At an international conference, sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association last July in Paris, researchers discussed the growing global risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that 36 million people currently suffer from the disease worldwide. Predictions are that those numbers will triple by the mid-century.

Although the causes of Alzheimer’s disease are not yet fully understood, it is becoming increasingly evident that diet and lifestyle choices play a more significant role than previously thought. Altogether seven lifestyle-related risk factors were identified based on a new mathematical model that was developed by a research team from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

They are: Physical inactivity (21 percent), depression (15 percent), smoking (11 percent), hypertension (8 percent), obesity (7 percent), low education (7 percent) and diabetes (3 percent). These risk factors combined are believed to contribute to about five and a half million cases of Alzheimer’s in the United States alone.

Based on findings such as these, the Alzheimer’s Association has pledged to fund more studies to explore the importance of mental and physical health for risk reduction and ultimately prevention of the disease.

One area on which researchers have been able to shed some light is the connection between Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease. Autopsy studies have shown that 80 percent of Alzheimer’s patients suffered from cardiovascular disease or related conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and stroke.

“Taking care of your heart protects your brain,” said Dr. Jack C. de la Torre, a leading researcher in the field. He believes that reducing cardiovascular risk factors as early as possible is key in the prevention of memory loss and dementia in later years. There is general agreement among the experts that a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise are the most effective measures people can take to protect their mental health.

A study report from Rush Medical College in Chicago concluded that a Mediterranean-style diet, which is predominantly vegetarian and low in fat, may have positive effects on the brain as well. For this project, 3,790 men and women ages 65 and older were periodically tested over an average of 15 years for memory and thinking skills. The participants who adhered most strictly to the Mediterranean diet scored significantly higher in the tests and were diagnosed as two years younger in “brain age” in comparison to their counterparts who didn’t follow a particular diet regimen. The findings still held after adjustments were made for other risk factors like age, sex, race, education, etc.

The report, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that, although the research “could not account for all the many factors that may contribute to cognitive decline in old age, […] a Mediterranean diet helps cut down on inflammatory substances in the body.” Inflammation has long been tied to heart disease and now possibly to Alzheimer’s disease as well.

Key ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, which derives its name from the typical food choices in countries around the Mediterranean Sea, include an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, olive oil and fish but only limited amounts of dairy products and meats.

The other equally important component of an anti-Alzheimer’s disease lifestyle is regular exercise. A study on the benefits of physical activity for mental health, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that “regular exercise may be good for staying mentally sharp into old age.”

Particularly resistance training (weight lifting) was singled out as a highly effective form of exercise in a study from Vancouver, Canada. Participating seniors who engaged at least twice a week in weight lifting scored on average higher on mental acuity tests than those who did only aerobics.

Still, as other studies from the U.S. and Europe have shown, older men and women who follow a moderate to intense exercise regimen of any kind score regularly higher on cognitive tests than their sedentary contemporaries.

Alzheimer’s is a complex phenomenon. Understanding it enough to hope for better prevention, let alone a cure, requires much further studying, especially with regards to its genetic components. However, since lifestyle factors almost certainly play a major role, we all can start taking steps to do our part in preventing this terrible disease.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

While it is true that the U.S. spends more than most countries on health care, the average life expectancy is lower and infant mortality is higher here than in many other industrialized nations. Why the discrepancy?

Based on a study that compared the various health care policies of the 30 most developed countries in the world, researchers found that spending on health care combined with spending on social services made the most significant difference. The study report, which was published in the journal BMJ Quality and Safety, concluded that spending on social services can extend and improve people’s lives in ways that health care alone cannot achieve.

“We studied 10 years’ worth of data and found that if you counted the combined investment in health care and social services, the United States no longer spent the most money – far from it,” wrote Elizabeth H. Bradley, a professor for public health at Yale University, and Lauren Taylor, a program manager at Yale’s Global Health Leadership Institute, in a co-authored op-ed article in the New York Times (12/9/2011).

“America is one of only three industrialized countries to spend the majority of its health and social service budget on health care itself. For every dollar we spend on health care, we spend an additional 90 cents on social services. In our peer countries [mostly in Europe], for every dollar spent on health care, an additional $2 is spent on social services. So not only are we spending less, we’re allocating our resources disproportionately on health care,” they added.

Health experts agree that unmet social needs often lead to an increase in acute health problems. Like actual diseases, lack of health insurance, job insecurity and poverty contribute heavily to the worsening of our public health. For millions of Americans, the hospital emergency room is the only option left in an otherwise broken system, a last resort that is not really sustainable.

“It’s time to think more broadly about where to find leverage for achieving a healthier society,” wrote Bradley and Taylor. The simplest way would be to invest more in social services, like the Europeans do. But this would mean an extended role of government and probably higher taxes, both of which are considered non-starters in the current political climate.

Still, the authors insist that introducing variations of the European model may be possible at some point in the future. As an example where this is already happening they cite a program called “Stand Downs” by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which addresses a number of social needs of retired service members as part of their health care plan.

So, what can be done in the meantime for the rest of us? For once, we need a better understanding of the importance of pro-active instead of strictly re-active health care. While it is common knowledge that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” we have yet to turn these insights into action. Health education and counseling should be considered as important as drug prescriptions and surgery – and appropriately funded. The fact that many of today’s common diseases are caused by poor lifestyle choices, bad eating habits, stress and sleep disorders should make us rethink our health care priorities.

Furthermore, studies have shown how access to basic health care can give people peace of mind and improve their overall well-being and quality of life (as I have reported earlier in an article titled “Health Insurance Shown to Make a Big Difference in Quality of Life”). It is part of a safety net nobody should have to be without. Seeing so many people in our midst deprived of some of the most elementary social services is intolerable. We can and must do better.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

In 1900, Americans could expect to live for about 49 years. In 2000, the average life expectancy had expanded to almost 77 years. Over the 20th century, people’s average lifespan lengthened between 1.5 and 2.7 years – per decade.

We are not alone in this trend. Aging populations are a global phenomenon. “The world is changing as a result of mankind’s greatest gift to itself, the engineering of longer lives,” writes Ted C. Fishman, author of “Shock of Grey.” In fact, if one adds up all the extra years of today’s average human life expectancy and multiplies it by the current world population, the magnitude of this development becomes even more apparent. The seven billion people now living on earth will enjoy more than 250 billion extra years compared to our ancestors of just one hundred years ago.

Obviously, it is debatable whether this dramatic rise in human life expectancy should be considered a success story or cause for concern. While the world population continues to grow, space and resources diminish. Increases in birth rates and longevity burn the candle at both ends. As Fishman puts it, “Billions of extra human-years would seem to virtually require a second planet.”

Not everyone predicts a doomsday scenario, however. Some see the graying of America as an opportunity to rethink our youth-obsessed culture and come up with workable alternatives. “As baby boomers move into the next stage of life, [they] now have the opportunity to experience a mold-shattering period of reinvention and personal growth, career, liberation, nourishing relationships and financial freedom,” writes Ken Dychtwald, bestselling author of “The Power Years – A User’s Guide to the Rest of Your Life.”

Instead of drifting off into the twilight, Dychtwald encourages his readers to use their golden years for having fun and being creative. Like any other part of our lives, he suggests, we can reinvent retirement and turn it into yet another adventure.

There is also lots of spiritual advice how to cope with the many challenges of aging. Self-help guru Deepak Chopra, MD recommends a new perception of old age by applying “techniques for harnessing the power of awareness […] to experience timelessness. By intervening at the level where belief becomes biology, we can achieve our unbounded potential,” he writes in his bestselling book, “Ageless Body, Timeless Mind – The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old.”

Views like these are particularly popular among baby boomers who are physically fit and financially secure, but they don’t necessarily apply to the majority of today’s seniors, according to Susan Jacoby, author of “Never Say Die – The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age.” “The idea that there is a new kind of old age, experiences in a radically different way from old age throughout history, is integral to the marketing of longevity. The idea that we can control the future by aggressively focusing on and taking care of ourselves is an article of faith for baby boomers,” she writes.

Whether it turns out to be another adventure or pure fantasy, increasing longevity challenges the baby boomers in different ways than any other generation before them. They must come up with visions and concepts of what their added years will mean to them. Taking up the proverbial “rocking chair” is neither an attractive nor, in most cases, a realistic option.

What is now called “active retirement” can entail many things, such as a career change, part-time work, hobbies, travel, a new relationship or even marriage. But most of all, it means staying physically and mentally as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Striving for optimal health is a task of a lifetime, but it becomes absolutely crucial as we grow older, according to Andrew Weil, MD, author of “Healthy Aging – A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-being.” He writes, “Although aging is an irreversible process, there are myriad things we can do to keep our minds and bodies in good working order through all phases of life.”

In other words, the way we age comes down to the efforts we make on behalf of our well-being. All the experts quoted above agree on one thing: Healthy aging takes work, hard work.

“Growing Old Is Not for Sissies,” is the title of a book by Etta Clark, a photographer, in which she presents portraits of senior athletes. Some are astonishing overachievers, regardless of their age; others just keep doing what they have always enjoyed with no particular goal other than remaining active. They all are an inspiration, in their deeds as well as their wisdom. It was the author’s own mother who first gave her the idea for her book. She quotes her saying: “Age – who cares? The years belong to someone else. I’m interested in living.”

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

The latest data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) show an increase of students qualifying for free or low-cost school lunches to 21 million (up from 18 million in 2007), a 17 percent rise. In some states, it is closer to 25 percent. The USDA, which administers the national school lunch program, reported that not since 1972 have so many children become eligible in such a short time.

Since its inception in 1946, the school lunch program has steadily expanded and has now a $10.8 billion annual budget, providing 32 million meals every day, 21 million of which are free or subsidized. Children from families of four with annual incomes of under $30K qualify for free meals, while subsidies are available to those from households with less than $42K.

Because of the increasing need, some school districts have added free breakfast- and even supper programs to prevent children from going hungry. But in most places funds are too limited to meet the demand.

These statistics reflect nothing less than a rapidly growing national crisis. The fact that millions and millions of children are dependant on government aid for food is a grave matter. The notoriously poor nutritional quality of many school lunches is lamentable enough. But what happens when children are not in school during vacation times with no access to regular meals? What happens to children who are continuously malnourished, missing out on key nutrients essential for their healthy growth and development?

Young children are most vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition. During growth spurts they need large amounts of calories, protein, fat, vitamins and other nutrients. The optimal development of the brain, the nervous system, musculature, bones and inner organs all depend on a healthy, balanced diet. Children are also more vulnerable to pollutants, toxins and chemicals than adults. Nutritionally inferior food products can be quite harmful to them.

Ideally, all children should be given the necessary means to grow up to their full potential. A healthy start can make that all the more possible. But that’s not what’s happening today for so many youngsters. Instead, childhood obesity is reaching crisis level. Often it’s the poorest kids who suffer from weight problems, not because they overeat, but because the junk food their parents can afford to buy them makes them sick. Only access to good nutrition at home and in schools could turn the tide.

Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, America is no longer the land of plenty we took for granted just a short while ago, certainly not for all, perhaps not for most. The question is what we are going to do about it. We can’t simply ignore the fact that millions of children in our midst don’t have enough or the right kind of food to eat. The damage that is being done to their health at a young age will continue to hold them back for the rest of their lives. We cannot ignore the dire consequences this will have for us all. A society full of sick people is not viable. Nothing less than the country’s future is at stake.

Asking to invest more money in the school lunch program to expand its services and improve its quality is not easy at a time when budget cuts and austerity measures are all the talk in Washington. But this is an emergency situation and we have to get our priorities straight. Americans have always pulled together when the country’s security was threatened. This is one these moments.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

“If people are at risk for heart disease, they typically make lifestyle modifications. This survey found that people are as concerned about their eyes but do not know the simple steps they need to incorporate into their daily lives to take care of them,” said Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, OD, FAAO, president of the Ocular Nutrition Society (ONS), which published the study.

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), the number of Americans with vision problems will double over the next three decades as the baby boomer generation reaches old age. The growing demand for eye health services will add yet another significant burden on the health care system, especially since eye diseases are often related to diabetes, which is already reaching epidemic proportions in this country.

Unfortunately, the diet most Americans adhere to lacks many essential nutrients that could help protect their eye health. For example, omega-3 fatty acids, richly found in salmon and other coldwater fish, are highly beneficial for the eyes. So are the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are present in eggs and many green leafy and collard vegetables. Both of these nutrients defend cells in the body from the damaging effects of so-called “free radicals” and protect the eyes from developing macular degeneration and cataracts.

Because of notoriously low consumption of fruits and vegetables, many Americans do not get sufficient amounts of carotenoids for most of their lives and the negative effects become apparent as they age. Smoking and high alcohol consumption can diminish carotenoid levels in the blood stream, adding to the damage. People who take cholesterol-lowering medications may be at risk of lacking carotenoids because of reduced nutrient absorption.

For these reasons and others, taking daily vitamin supplements to bridge nutritional gaps is highly recommended. Good supplemental sources for lutein and zeaxanthin come from marigold flowers. Preferable would be whole food sources like kale, spinach, turnips, broccoli, romaine lettuce, zucchini, Brussels sprouts and peas.

“As we grow older, the need for certain vitamins and nutrients to support the eye increases,” said Dr. Anshel. “Over the past couple decades, there has been a national focus on better nutrition and healthy living. This survey highlights the need for greater education on lifestyle modifications that baby boomers should be incorporating into their daily lives, including proper nutrition, to safeguard eye health as they age,” he added.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Opponents of the new law argue that once Congress can force people to get insurance, it can make all sorts of other requirements as well, if it deems them necessary. Eventually, so the argument goes, this could lead to a future scenario where everyone will be required to eat healthy (e.g. lots of broccoli) and forego simple pleasures like smoking and drinking. So, beware of the “nanny state” before it’s too late.

The fact is that most Americans have been subject to a mandate to buy health insurance for a long time. It’s called Medicare. Contributions to the program are automatically deducted from people’s paycheck, whether they eventually will reap the benefits or not. That’s as mandatory as it gets.

In truth, it is quite clear that there are limits to what the government can do, says Einer Elhauge, professor of law at Harvard University and director of the Petrie-Flom Center in Health Law Policy. “If [Congress] tried to enact a law requiring Americans to eat broccoli, that would likely violate bodily integrity and the right to liberty. But the health insurance mandate does not require Americans to subject themselves to health care. It requires them only to buy insurance to cover the costs of any health care they get.”

But what about the private sector? Is it acceptable, for example, that employers coerce their workers into adopting healthier lifestyle habits, like asking them to quit smoking, exercise regularly and manage their weight?

More and more companies now require employees who smoke, are overweight or have high cholesterol to pay a greater share of their health care costs. According to Mercer, a consulting firm specializing in corporate health policies, about a third of companies with over 500 workers offer wellness programs and give other incentives like insurance discounts. But others, including industry giants like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, PepsiCo, Safeway, Lowe’s and General Mills have chosen a more punitive approach, they describe as “more stick, less carrot.” Wal-Mart, for example, demands “surcharges” of up to $2,000 per year for smokers among its workforce. Others set “health targets” that employees must meet to qualify for lower premiums. Those who fail to meet specific standards may be charged 20 to 50 percent of their policy costs.

Critics say that practices like these are thinly disguised ways to discriminate against less than perfectly healthy workers. Some people suffer from health problems that are not necessarily lifestyle-related and may not always be under their control, they say.

That may very well be. But tobacco users alone consume about 25 percent more health care services than non-tobacco users, according to Greg Rossiter, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart. “The increase in premiums […] is directly related to that fact,” he added.

The message is clear: If we are to succeed in making health care more accessible and affordable, we all must do our part. The employer-based insurance system we have now is not sustainable in the face of ever-rising costs. Nor is a private insurance industry that remains out of reach for tens of millions of Americans.

The Obama administration has emphasized from the start that affordability is an essential component of any health care mandate. But affordability depends in large parts on responsible use. We have a national health crisis on our hands with two thirds of Americans being overweight and one third being obese. We have a childhood obesity epidemic never known before in history. We have an array of lifestyle-related illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and cancer that could mostly be avoided with healthier diets and exercise.

“No longer can the public afford a system that shifts the burden of care for the uninsured onto those who have health insurance or onto the fragile health care infrastructure we have,” said Dr. Charles P. Mouton, professor at Howard University College of Medicine and chairman of the Department of Community and Family Medicine. Instead of accepting the fact that millions of our citizens seek routine medical care through hospital emergency rooms, we need to build a system that promotes health and wellness for all. At the same time, nobody should consider good health as a purely personal matter that is nobody’s business but his or hers. We all have a civic duty to maintain our health as best as we can and not unnecessarily burden society with the consequences of poor lifestyle choices. Only then we can hope to finally achieve a health care system that is just, viable and can be embraced by all.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

As the story goes, the first white settlers, later called the “pilgrims,” landed near the tip of Cape Cod after crossing the Atlantic from Plymouth, England, on a small ship called the Mayflower. The first year after arriving on the new continent proved to be disastrous and only half of the passengers and crew members made it through the winter. A year later, in November 1621, the pilgrims had their first successful harvest and that called for a big celebration. They invited their native neighbors for a sumptuous meal and that was the beginning of a tradition that continues until today. Well, that’s the short version.

More historically correct would be that, although there were more Thanksgiving celebrations in the following years, it was President George Washington who first declared Thanksgiving as an official public holiday in 1789. By this, he called upon Americans to express their collective gratitude for the victorious conclusion of the war of independence. But only in 1817, the state of New York became the first to officially celebrate an annual Thanksgiving holiday. Other states followed the custom but observed it on different days. In 1863, at the height of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln reinterpreted the meaning of  Thanksgiving as a day to remember “all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife and to heal the wounds of the nation.”

From then on, Thanksgiving was scheduled for the last Thursday in November, only to be moved up a week in 1939 by President Franklin Roosevelt to help stimulate retail sales during the Great Depression. The change didn’t last long and by the time America entered into World War II, Thanksgiving was back on the old schedule, where it remains until today.

Of course, none of these former causes for celebration really matter to most of us today. It’s a holiday, one we celebrate among others during the Season. It gives us a chance to sit down for a family dinner, an occasion that is becoming increasingly rare, if not altogether extinct.

That’s the upside. From a dietary perspective, Thanksgiving can be a nightmare. It’s estimated that a typical holiday meal packs a whopping 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat that can stick to your ribs until resolution season. “Something about the holidays makes people think it’s okay to stuff themselves full of their favorite foods,” said Bob Harper, one of the trainers on the popular TV show “The Biggest Loser. And the food is not the only problem. People overeat and then watch football or fall asleep and don’t move an inch for the rest of the day.

So, what can be done to avoid the traditional overindulging this year? For starters, people need to get a better idea how many calories they are actually going to consume before they sit down to eat. During an experiment conducted by Weight Watchers®, clients were given paper plates and asked to “map out” their Thanksgiving meal. Most were shocked to learn they had piled on food worth four days of their calorie needs in one single helping!

Having an eating strategy beforehand can make a real difference. Think of the foods you enjoy the most, whether they are appetizers, main course items or desserts. Then eat a reasonable portion of your favorites and cut back on everything else.

“I like to compare eating to the use of a credit card,” said Connie Holt, a registered dietitian and associate professor of the School of Hospitality Management at Widener University in Chester, Pa. “If I have $100 to spend on Friday, I’m not going to spend it tomorrow. I’m going to hold on to it.” The same goes for calories. If Thanksgiving is the day you let loose a little, make sure you have some lean days before and after.

Also, it helps not to think of Thanksgiving only as an occasion for eating. There are a thousand other things you can do as well. After all, this is a time to be spent with family and friends. Nothing will keep you from going outside and getting some exercise, playing ball or going on a hike. In many places, there are opportunities to walk or run competitively for charitable causes. Even helping out at a homeless shelter or a church will be more rewarding than eating yourself silly. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

The lawmakers named cost increases that would exceed the budget limitations of the coming agriculture spending bill as their main reason for keeping new school meal regulations from going into effect at this time. The USDA plan would have added $6.8 billion to the current expenditures, or about 14 cents per meal.

The proposed changes in the school lunch program would have been the first in 15 year. In keeping with the Obama administration’s commitment to reduce childhood obesity, the new rules would have altered the way schools get credit for serving more fresh fruits and vegetables and less processed items, like pizza, burgers and French fries. Schools that serve federally subsidized meals to students from low-income households are expected to be in compliance with the nutritional guidelines they receive from the government.

The USDA’s proposal was in large parts based on recommendations issued in 2009 by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). When the new guidelines were first made public last January, the Obama administration hailed the plan as an important tool “to stem the tide of childhood obesity and reduce future health care costs.”

But food manufacturers and even some school districts quickly objected to the new requirements, arguing that it was not the government’s place to specify what foods can or cannot be served in school cafeterias.

The USDA expressed disappointment over the derailing of its plan: “It is unfortunate that some in Congress chose to bow to special interests,” said a spokesperson for the agency.

While supporters of the congressional action called it “reasonable” and important to “prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations,” nutrition experts generally sided with the USDA and viewed it as a setback.

“It’s a shame that Congress seems more interested in protecting industry than protecting children’s health,” said Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit advocacy group. “At a time when child nutrition and childhood obesity are national health concerns, Congress should be supporting USDA and school efforts to serve healthier school meals, not undermining them,” she added.

Some points of contention over the USDA plan seem downright outlandish. For example, pizza makers insist that a quarter-cup of tomato paste per slice should count as one vegetable serving. The USDA says pizza toppings should be more in line with other fruit pastes and purees, which require higher amounts to be given credit as a serving.

Never mind such silly quibbling over minor details. The bottom line is that unhealthy food items have no place on a school lunch menu, no matter what the law calls them. While it makes sense to control costs in times of economic hardship, imposing austerity measures at the expense of our children’s health is not the way to go.

If school lunches continue to be of poor nutritional quality, a much higher price will have to be paid down the road in terms of health care costs. Meeting the nutritional needs of our youngsters today is an essential investment in our future as a country that should not be made a political football.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) found that people under the age of 65 who were diagnosed with a condition called “prehypertension” had a 68 percent increased risk of suffering a stroke compared to those with normal readings.

Prehypertension is defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a systolic pressure (upper number) of 120 to 139 mmHg and a diastolic pressure (lower number) of 80 to 89. Higher readings than 140/90 are considered to be hypertension. Ideally, the normal range should be well below the prehypertension threshold.

When blood pressure rises, the heart has to work harder. If blood pressure remains chronically elevated, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases, which can eventually lead to heart attack, stroke or heart failure.

A primary risk factor is obesity. The greater the body mass, the more blood is needed to transport oxygen and nutrients. The higher volume of blood circulating through the blood vessels puts ever more force on the artery walls.

There are other causes as well. Atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries, is quite common. Other contributing conditions are sleep apnea, kidney disease, thyroid disease and adrenal disease.

Poor diet- and lifestyle choices are most often (at least in part) responsible for high blood pressure to occur. But even some medications, including birth control pills, cold remedies, painkillers and other prescription drugs can play a role. So can recreational drugs like cocaine and amphetamines.

There is no cure for high blood pressure, only treatment through medication and lifestyle measures like diet and exercise.

Prehypertension should be seen as a warning sign, according to Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele, a professor at UCSD and lead author of the study that lead to the revised guidelines. “This doesn’t mean that people with prehypertension should start taking anti-hypertensive drugs. Instead, they should modify their lifestyle, maintain an ideal weight and lower their sodium intake.”

The worst you can do is to ignore the numbers, said Dr. Ovbiagele. “You shouldn’t be deceived because nothing seems to be going on.” Because there are no specific symptoms for prehypertension or hypertension, people tend to think they can live with the condition.

Nothing could be further from the truth. If you are overweight, even moderately, shed the extra pounds as soon as possible. Exercise regularly. Nothing is better for your blood pressure and your heart than a rigorous workout several times a week (consult with your doctor if you already have elevated blood pressure and don’t currently exercise). Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and low-fat dairy products. Avoid foods that are high in sodium like processed and packaged food items. Eat foods that are low-fat, low-cholesterol and free of trans fats and other unhealthy ingredients. Cut back on meat, especially red meat. Drink alcohol in only moderation, preferably red wine. Last but not least, manage your stress and get enough sleep.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Critics say, the new concept – graphically represented by a dinner plate divided in four segments for different food groups and a smaller container for dairy products on the side – may be easier to understand than its predecessors (“Food Pyramid” and “MyPyramid”), but it may also oversimplify the intricacies of a healthy, balanced diet. People may be getting the message – eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and get less protein from animal food products – but they still don’t know what to look for once they navigate the supermarket aisles.

In Europe, and especially in Great Britain, governments have taken a different approach. It’s called “Traffic Light Labelling” (sic), and it’s just as intuitive and self-evident as it sounds. Processed and pre-packaged foods are labeled in ways that tell consumers at a glance about fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt content. Obviously, red means high, yellow means medium and green stands for low percentages of these ingredients. The more red indicators show up on a package, the less healthy the product is deemed to be, and, visa versa, more green means it’s a healthier choice.

Nutrition experts and consumer advocates have generally welcomed the traffic-light label approach and have called for making it the standard information system for nutrition facts.

Regretfully, the European Parliament’s food safety committee decided earlier this year that labeling food items with color codes should not be made mandatory for member states in the European Union (EU). “Color symbols have not got any scientific background and the limits and thresholds would be purely arbitrary. Sugar-free coke, for example, would get the ‘green light’ as it has no sugar. Natural apple juice, however, would get the ‘red light’ as it contains glucose,” said Renate Sommer, the lead author of the committee report.

Consumer and health groups expressed deep disappointment over the “watering down” of the traffic-lights labeling requirements by making them optional for food manufacturers to apply. They say an inconsistent labeling system will produce a patchwork of policies and guidelines that will confuse consumers even more.

Regardless of the EU’s decision, consumer advocacy groups keep pushing for more regulations. In response to an anti-obesity campaign by the British government, named “Call to Action,” activists say that much more needs to be done to curb the obesity crisis, which has reached proportions in Britain similar to the United States.

“Simply telling people what they already know – that they need to eat less and move more – is a complete cop-out,” said Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef and campaigner for the nutritional improvement of school lunch programs in both the U.K. and the U.S. “The country’s bill of health is shocking and the government’s strategy to turn that around is woefully inadequate,” he added.

“Our research along with independent studies testing the various food information labelling (sic) schemes indicate that consumers across the board – not just the better educated ones – find the traffic light approach the easiest to understand,” said Sue Davis, a policy advisor for the consumer advocacy group Which?

An easy to understand and unified labeling system would certainly be helpful for making better dietary decisions, regardless in what country. Our current system in the U.S. obviously doesn’t work. We have more information available than ever, but we also seem to be more confused and helpless than ever before. Our current nutrition label system requires us to decipher the meaning of numbers, percentages, scientific terminology and illogical apportionments. Interpreting mathematical values or comparing chemical compounds is not what people usually do when they try to find something to eat.

“The focus on nutrients is probably inevitable but it distracts from the real issue, which is whether you’re getting real food or not,” said Michael Pollan, author of bestselling books, including “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.”

Eating right to stay healthy and fit should not be so complicated, in fact it should not be complicated at all – more like understanding the meaning of a traffic light.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” (http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

More than 40 million people suffer from anxiety disorders in this country, estimates the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) based on prescription drug sales. Younger generations seem to be most affected.

“It used to be that if you got a good education, you would get a good job. But today, young people are uncertain about finding a job, they have a lot more debt, they are working while studying, finishing later, more fatigued and some are starting families while still in school, and juggling all of this causes a great deal of stress,” said Dr. Katy Kamkar, a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada.

So, are our times more stressful and anxiety-ridden than, let’s say, the Great Depression era in the 1930s? In a way yes, according to Dr. Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University and author of “Generation Me.” “Anxiety rates have risen steadily over the past seven decades, during good economic times and bad,” she said.

Dr. Twenge sees at least some of the reasons in the deep cultural shifts we as a society have undergone since the 1960s. “Recent generations have been told over and over again: You can be anything you want to be, you can have the big job title, you can have the big bank account, and in the case of women, you can have the perfect body. That puts a lot on a person’s shoulder – and it is also not really true. That disconnect creates a lot of anxiety about how hard you need to work […] and a deep fear of failure.”

And it’s not only that people have impossibly high expectations that are bound to be frustrated at some point in their lives. The world keeps changing so fast that many feel left behind even at a relatively young age.

Reconsidering one’s values and making changes to one’s lifestyle is not easy. It’s hard if not impossible to get off the train once you’re on it. “People feel they should always be on, and that they could be called upon at any moment to do something,” said Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, a professor of psychology at Yale University who specializes in stress and women’s health. “Our e-mail and iPhones are constantly pinging, which keeps anxiety heightened all the time.”

Experiencing anxiety every now and then is – like stress – a natural phenomenon and not necessarily a bad one. It’s an emotional reaction that helps us recognize actual threats or problems and deal with them. If kept at a healthy level, anxiety can help us to be more focused and perform better. However, if it grows out of proportion, it can become quickly counter-productive and, in extreme cases, even debilitating. “Generally, we say anxiety is not normal when it lasts days beyond a specific stressful event, or when it interferes with a person’s life,” said Dr. Terri Moffit, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University in North Carolina.

The term “anxiety disorder” refers to anxiety as a chronic condition. It can take on different forms. There is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (a.k.a. social phobia) and specific phobias.

Anxiety and fear are often used interchangeably. But in clinical usage, they have clearly distinct meanings. Anxiety is defined as a negative emotional state for which the cause is either not identified or perceived to be beyond a person’s control. Fear, on the other hand, is an emotional and physiological response to a concrete external threat. Phobias, which are responses of fear or discomfort triggered by specific stimuli or situations, are also considered to be anxiety disorders.

Anxiety often goes hand in hand with clinical depression and other mental disorders. It is estimated that about 60 percent of people suffering from chronic depression experience regular bouts of anxiety as well.

Sexual dysfunctions are quite common among men and women with anxiety disorders, although it cannot always be determined whether anxiety causes the dysfunction or whether they both result from a common cause.

Treatment options for anxiety disorders include psychotherapy (e.g. cognitive-behavioral therapy), medication and lifestyle changes.

Exercise has been shown to help with stress management and can have positive effects on anxiety reduction as well. So can dietary changes. “Eating too much of the wrong kind of foods produces an inflammation effect that can cause disease in the brain,” said Dr. David Heber, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Sufferers from chronic anxiety have reported that cutting back on starchy foods and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables has made a significant difference not only for their physical- but also their emotional well-being.

Controlling and, if necessary, reducing consumption of caffeine and alcohol is equally as important. Caffeine can increase anxiety and trigger panic attacks. While alcohol may make you feel more relaxed for the moment, it can also contribute to depression.

Relaxation techniques, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, massage and other soothing treatments are all highly recommended to counterbalance anxiety. They may not always suffice, but they are always helpful. Just by being able to turn off the noise once in a while, both body and mind can relax, heal and rejuvenate.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

The objective of the study was to see how Americans are responding to the stepped-up educational efforts by the government and advocacy groups to improve the nutritional health of the public. For this purpose, researchers compared data from two surveys that were conducted between 1989 to 1991 and 2005 to 2008.

“Although the actual healthfulness of diets has not changed much in the last 15 years, there has been a large and significant decrease in the percentage of Americans who rate their diets as Excellent or Very Good,” said the report. “These changes provide a snapshot of consumers’ increased dietary realism and, perhaps, receptiveness to dietary guidance, and they also suggest the possibility that a changed information environment has affected consumers’ perception.”

The comparison of the two surveys clearly shows that a significantly higher percentage of people who were asked to rate the quality of their diets grew more pessimistic over time. 8.6 percent (down from 13.2) were inclined to call their diet Excellent and 23.3 percent (down from 27.8) thought it was Very Good. The percentage of those who considered their eating habits as Good stayed roughly the same – 40.7 percent (up from 39.3).

The researchers concede that an “optimistic bias” about their diet still prevails among Americans. While nutrition experts have learned a great deal about the nutritional quality (or lack thereof) of the typical American diet, most consumers’ perception remains inaccurate. Our diets continue to be too high in calories, fats (especially saturated fats), sodium and added sugar. They are also too low in fiber, whole grains, fresh vegetables and important micronutrients, according to the report. The reason is not that people willfully ignore the dietary advice they’re given. They just misjudge their own actions.

Still, the overall rise in awareness is encouraging. Especially overweight people seem to realize more that their eating habits wreak havoc on their health. Among overweight people, the percentage of those who rated their diets as Excellent or Very Good declined by 12 points since the first survey.

The researchers also looked at other data connected with diet. For example, they found a significant relationship between household income and diet quality perception. Those who believed their diets to be Excellent or Very Good were on average financially better off than those who considered their diets as Poor. The dramatic rise of food prices in recent years has certainly contributed to this discrepancy, although to what degree has not become altogether clear in this study.

Lack of access to healthy food resources in some rural areas and low-income inner-city neighborhoods seems to be a remarkably insignificant factor. The so-called food deserts, where travel time to a supermarket or grocery store exceeds 15 minutes, did not affect diet choices as much as previously thought.

More important was the fact that consumers eat most of their meals away from home. Home-cooking and eating together as a family are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Again, the percentage of people recognizing these trends as a potential problem is increasing, but there is little effort or even knowledge of how to make the necessary changes to reverse them. Remarkably, those who rate their eating habits as Poor spend on average a larger fraction of their food budget on restaurant food than those who say they have healthier diets.

Clearly, this report does not unveil any great secrets. Most of its observations are unsurprising. Still, one can take comfort in the thought that the information given to the public seems to register, even if that does not (yet) lead to decisive action. We can only hope there will be a tipping point in the not so distant future.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

In one study, researchers from the University of Minnesota followed over 38,000 women in an still ongoing survey called the “Iowa Women’s Health Study.” The participants were in their early 60s when the project was started in 1986. The focus of this study was on the women’s use of vitamin supplements for about 18 years on average.

As it turns out, the women who took daily doses of supplements had a higher mortality rate by two and a half percent compared to those who didn’t take any.

“Our study, as well as other similar studies, have provided very little evidence that commonly used dietary supplements would help to prevent diseases,” said Dr. Jaako Mursu, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and lead author of the study report, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (10/11/2011). “We would advise people to reconsider whether they need to use supplements, and put more emphasis on a healthy diet instead,” he added.

Dr. Mursu admitted that the study was not designed to determine if there was a specific cause for the increased mortality risk of the supplement users. The study did however distinguish between the different kinds of supplements the participants took. For example, the women who took iron supplements had a four percent higher probability of dying. Others who used multivitamins, folic acid, vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc also showed higher rates. Only calcium seemed to have a positive effect, decreasing the risk for most women who took it.

A second study, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), found that men who took daily a high dose of vitamin E ran a 17 percent greater risk of developing prostate cancer. These results, which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), came as a surprise, considering that vitamin E was believed to be actually helpful in the prevention of prostate cancer.

The vitamin E study, named the “SELECT” trial, began in 2001. It was designed as a double-blind, placebo-controlled research project, the highest standard in scientific testing. The initial goal was to find out how vitamin E and selenium (a mineral mostly found in soil) can reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

“I was surprised by the results of this trial,” said Dr. Eric Klein, an urologist at the Cleveland Clinic and the national coordinator of the study. “There really is not any compelling evidence that taking these dietary supplements above and beyond a normal dietary intake is helpful in any way, and this is evidence that it could be harmful.”

The increase in health risks could be derived from the high concentration of nutritional compounds that many supplements contain. Most of these micronutrients are present in much smaller amounts in regular foods, so they can become toxic when they are consumed over long periods of time and accumulate in the body, according to Dr. Mursu.

While vitamins and minerals are necessary for healthy nutrition, excess intake can create serious problems. It is also important that consumers understand the differences between the supplements they are taking.

For example, overdosing on water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B-complex is possible but unlikely. Excessive amounts pass through the system and get eliminated in the urine.

Fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E and K, on the other hand, are stored in fat cells and can eventually build up to toxic levels. Minerals like calcium, chloride, chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc are absorbed in the body as well and can become harmful to the liver and kidneys. Some supplements can interfere with medications a person is taking and also negatively affect the metabolism of other nutrients.

For these reasons and others, many nutrition experts warn that supplements should not be considered as a substitute for a well-balanced diet, notwithstanding their enormous popularity. Over half of American adults take at least one supplement a day. It is estimated that vitamin and supplement sales in the U.S. amount to $20 billion plus per year.

It’s tempting to rely on supplements. In our fast-food culture, it may even sound reasonable to take extra vitamins to make up for nutritional deficiencies. Ironically, the people who use the most supplements are the ones who already eat the healthiest. So, they may want to reconsider. But for the millions of Americans who adhere to a less than perfect diet, it makes good sense to keep adding a basic multivitamin a day.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Most details of the new benefits program remain sketchy to this point, however. The Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) has tasked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to come up with guidelines to help determine what health benefits should be considered “essential” and should be included in all insurance plans.

In a long-awaited report, the IOM declined to list specific benefits but gave a framework instead by which the importance of services should be determined. In keeping with the current political climate and economic realities, the institute urged the government to consider affordability above all other criteria. “If the benefits are not affordable, fewer individuals will buy insurance. And if health care spending continues to rise so rapidly, the benefits will erode,” warned the 18-member expert panel that authored the report.

There was also concern that the federal government itself could face unsustainable expenditures if it was forced to subsidize millions of insurance premiums for beneficiaries who can’t afford paying for oversized benefits packages.

For all these reasons and others, the panel advised that benefits should be kept within the limits of a typical employer plan for small businesses – not large or medium-size corporations that are able to provide more generous coverage. As it is written now, the reform law has listed 10 categories of essential benefits that must be offered, some of which go well beyond the provisions of many existing employer plans, such as maternity leave, mental health treatment, pediatric dentistry, among others. By contrast, the panel wants regulators to only include services that are “medical in nature and that have been established to be effective using research.” Excluded should be all “treatments that have not been shown to work [and] services that are primarily educational.” Some of those treatments “not been shown to work,” according to the panel, could be common tests like mammograms and screening for prostate cancer.

Preventive measures as part of the final benefit package remain on shaky ground. House Republicans have already announced their plan to block a program called the “Prevention and Public Health Fund,” which is intended to financially support states and communities in their efforts to prevent diseases. It would pay for public health services that help fight obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer, increase vaccination and reduce smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, among other things. Many health organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association are in favor of the project, which will cost about $16 billion over ten years.

In any case, keeping Americans healthy will be more cost-effective than curing them. Unlike our traditional health care model, which is almost exclusively designed to treat illnesses and injuries, any new approach should look for strategies that identify and lower risk factors before serious consequences occur.

This thinking is by no means new, of course. Many employers have long recognized that keeping their workforce in good health is a vital part of controlling health care costs. Three out of four larger companies offer free preventive health services to their workers, according to a 2009 survey by Mercer, a benefits consulting firm. These include anti-smoking policies, access to exercise- and fitness facilities, weight management programs and more. “Wellness benefits” like these should be made available for small business employees as well.

Ultimately, it comes down to this simple question: Should we continue to invest almost exclusively in medical treatment or should we change the system in favor of prevention. On face value, I think, it’s a no-brainer. Even folk wisdom has it that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Preventive health care essentially means helping people to maintain good health. This includes getting them to exercise, manage their weight, eat right, quit or avoid smoking, abstain from drug-and alcohol abuse and keep blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels under control. Health education and counseling can be instrumental to prevent most lifestyle-related illnesses.

Annual physicals and regular screenings matter greatly as well. Especially after a certain age, they should include monitoring blood pressure, cholesterol screening, pap smear tests, mammograms, PSA testing, colon cancer screening and CT scans for lung cancer.

Most diseases can be effectively treated as long as they are detected early enough. It shouldn’t be a question whether we can afford to offer preventive services to everyone. The truth is, we can’t afford not to. All alternatives will turn out to be much costlier.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

“Feelings of loneliness and isolation can affect older adults’ health in a number of ways. They can, for example, create stress, lower self-esteem or contribute to depression, all of which can have physical health consequences – either by affecting a person’s lifestyle choices or through direct effects on the body,” said Dr. Erin York Cornwell, a sociology professor at Cornell University and lead author of the study report.

Social isolation may even shorten your life expectancy, according to Dr. James Lynch, author of “The Broken Heart: The Medical Consequences of Loneliness.” Human beings are social creatures throughout their lives. As people grow older, their need for social interaction remains the same, but their ability to satisfy this need may become diminished: They retire and lose contact with former co-workers; their children grow up and move away; they become widowed or divorced; their circle of friends shrinks. As a result, many elders find themselves increasingly deprived of the important benefits of companionship. Life becomes less satisfying and loses its meaning. Consequences are often severe depression and lack of will to live.

“Suicide is more common among older Americans than any other age group,” according to Jane E. Brody, a columnist for the New York Times who writes on issues of personal health. “While people 65 and older account for 12 percent of the population, they represent 16 percent to 25 percent of the suicides. Four out of five suicides in older adults are men. And among white men over 85, the suicide rate – 50 per 100,000 men – is six times that of the general population.

Older widowers and divorcees are at the highest risk. When wives die or move away, their husbands’ social connections often cease as well, especially when the women did most of the social networking. “Men are poorly prepared for retirement and don’t know how to fill in the hours and maintain a sense of usefulness when they stop working,” said Dr. Martha L. Bruce, a professor of sociology and psychiatry at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

“Many older people despair over the quality of their lives at the end of life. [We] think that sadness is a hallmark of depression. But more often in older people it’s anhedonia – they’re not enjoying life,” Dr. Bruce added.

Conversely, having loved ones to spend time with, making new friends and sharing experiences and interests with others can help decrease the susceptibility to loneliness, depression and illness. Nurturing new relationships and even falling in love again can bring back a renewed zest for life. Research has shown that seniors who remain sexually active enjoy better physical and emotional health than those who do not, according to Dr. Andrew Weil, professor of medicine and director of the Program for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona and best-selling author of numerous books on health and wellness, including “Healthy Aging – A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-being.” “The youth culture would have us believe that sexual pleasure is the birthright of the young, that old people shouldn’t be thinking about sex, and that imagining old people having sex is distasteful. None of this is true. [Physical contact] is a basic requirement for optimum health,” he added. “This need does not diminish with age.”

Thankfully, the baby boomers are less inhibited in this regard than previous generations may have been. Today’s 55-plus crowd definitely does not think the party is over any time soon. And they know where to look for love in all the right places – via the Internet, of course. Memberships of dating sites are booming, and the older demographics are growing the fastest. “With so many older Americans unattached, living independently into their later years, and increasingly comfortable using the Internet, they too are logging on for love,” observed Stephanie Rosenbloom in an article for the New York Times (10/6/2011), titled “Second Love at First Click.” Not everyone is looking for true love, let alone marriage. But companionship and romance are in high demand and the dating industry is happy to help.

Living longer and healthier as we grow older through sound nutrition, physical exercise and mental activity is very important, but it’s only a worthy goal if the experience is enjoyable and gratifying – and that includes love.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Breakfast cultures can differ tremendously, not only between countries and ethnicities but also within families. Having been brought up in England, I have maintained some of my early habits and preferences throughout my life. I don’t eat kippers (smoked herring) anymore, but I still like my cup of tea with a biscuit as soon as I get out of bed, as I did as a kid. My own children, both born and raised in America, would never dream of having anything else than coffee and cereal, and perhaps pancakes on weekends. For them, as for many Americans, convenience and efficiency matter most.

That wasn’t always the case. In the early 1800s, our forbearers ate their main meal at midday and a lighter supper in the evening, as it’s still the case in many European countries. Breakfast was not a separately prepared meal but consisted mostly of leftovers and was served cold so as to not require making a fire, describes Elizabeth Giddens in an article for the New York Times Magazine (10/2/2011), titled “How Has Breakfast Evolved.”

By the mid 19th century, working men no longer had the time to go home for lunch, so having a hearty breakfast became important. To endure long hours of hard labor until dinner – mostly of the physical kind like construction, manufacturing and agriculture – they needed to consume as many calories as possible.

Only in the early 20th century, certain foods like eggs, sausages, bacon and pancakes became distinguished breakfast staples. It was also around that time that the breakfast cereal was invented. “Few foods have transformed the American table quite so significantly as cereal,” said Giddens. And with more and more women entering the workforce in the 1950s and 1960s, cereal became the breakfast of choice for many families because it required almost no preparation.

Today, breakfast as a regular meal has almost ceased to exist. More and more people skip breakfast for a variety of reasons. They say they are too pressed for time, don’t like breakfast food or are not hungry in the morning. The problem is that going without food between dinner and next day’s lunchtime means eighteen hours of fasting, which leads to a state of semistarvation that can eventually create a number of serious health risks.

Research has shown that taking time for breakfast is more valuable for your health than a few extra minutes of sleep. A nutritious morning meal will refresh you and recharge your body better than your snooze can.

Choosing the right kind of food for breakfast matters greatly. You don’t have to stick to “traditional” breakfast items. During my many travels, I’ve encountered all sorts of breakfast styles, many of which I never heard of before but found absolutely delicious.

Fruit for breakfast is always a good choice. It provides many important vitamins and other essential nutrients. Cereal can be a good source of fiber. Hot cereal like oatmeal is preferable. Make sure you’re getting a brand that contains only whole grains and no added sugar. For protein, have some eggs (egg white only), yogurt or milk (both non-fat or low-fat). Vegetables are great, but they are not to everyone’s taste. I sometimes like tomatoes or beets as a side dish.

If you are not used to eating an elaborate breakfast, start small. Not being hungry in the morning may be the result of a heavy meal for dinner or a late snack the night before. When that happens, your stomach keeps digesting while you’re asleep. When you wake up, your blood sugar level is at the lowest and you feel sluggish and irritable, which also affects your appetite. So, instead of forcing down food you are not used to and don’t enjoy, have a piece of whole-wheat toast and some fruit and gradually add more items over time.

Some people skip breakfast to lose weight. It’s a bad idea! Research has shown time and again that skipping meals, especially breakfast, can make weight control more difficult. Avoiding regular meals makes the temptation of unhealthy snacking harder to resist, which, of course, defeats the purpose of dieting. “Eating breakfast prevents you from bottoming out and getting too hungry,” said Susan Kraus Ms, RD, a registered dietitian at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. “Without eating breakfast, you’re more vulnerable to cravings and less likely to make healthy choices in the morning and throughout the day. That’s a disaster – whether you’re on a diet or just eating for good health.”

By contrast, eating a healthy meal before you start your day keeps you satisfied and your metabolism running smoothly. It also helps you to stay focused and perform at your best. It prevents you from running out of energy and making poor eating decisions.

If this is true for adults, it matters even more for growing children. Numerous studies have shown that kids who skip breakfast regularly do less well at school than those who don’t. Pediatricians and nutrition experts urge parents who are unable to feed their kids a wholesome breakfast at home to enroll them in a school breakfast program. It’s one of the best investments they can make in their future.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Although there is no connection between the lettuce recall and the outbreak tied to the cantaloupes from Jensen Farms, according to the FDA, the growing frequency at which these incidents keep occurring is alarming. As reported by Reuters (9/30/2011), there have been four listeria-related food recalls during the month of September alone. “Any time we find listeria in food, we would consider that food adulterated and ask for a recall,” said Douglas Karas, a spokesperson for the FDA.

The finding of listeria in the romaine lettuce was a result of an FDA research program designed to better understand the prevalence of listeria in fresh produce like lettuce and other leafy greens. Listeria outbreaks are usually associated with deli meats, unpasteurized cheese and seafood, rather than with fresh produce.

Investigators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to search for the causes of the outbreaks by examining possibilities of water contamination and improper farming practices. In the meantime, the number of people infected must be expected to rise because it can take weeks and months before listeria bacteria develop into potentially life-threatening listeriosis.

“Whether listeria causes illness depends on a combination of three things: A person’s susceptibility, how much listeria a person has been infected with, and the virulence of the particular listeria strain,” said Dr. Patricia Griffin, chief of the Enteric Disease Epidemiology Department at the CDC.

Listeria bacteria are commonly found in soil, animal feed, groundwater and sewage. They can also be carried in livestock. When listeria enters the human body, however, it turns into a bacterial parasite that lives and feeds on cells, which eventually can become a deadly threat.

Young children, the elderly and people with a compromised immune system are at the greatest risk of falling seriously ill due to infection. The disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women because it can adversely affect the unborn and lead to premature delivery, miscarriage or stillbirth.

Dr. William Schaffner, a specialist for infectious diseases and preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Tennessee, said that people should pay close attention to flu-like symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle aches, stomach cramps and headaches. Caregivers, too, should be on alert because of the contagious nature of the disease.

Listeria bacteria can be eliminated by cooking or pasteurizing but not by freezing or refrigeration. Unlike other pathogens, listeria bacteria can continue to grow at low temperatures and can linger long after the original source of the contamination is gone. For this reason, it is extremely important to thoroughly clean and sanitize all areas where contaminated food items may have been handled or stored, like kitchen counters and refrigerators.

Health experts strongly recommend to dispose of all foods suspected of contamination, not just those affected by the recent recalls. Washing alone will not suffice because you can’t be sure that the bacteria are only present on the surface. Listeria in particular is impossible to identify by sight, taste or smell. Before you dispose of suspicious foods, wrap them in plastic before throwing them out to prevent further contamination.

Better yet would be taking more pro-active measures. In an op-ed article, the New York Times (10/1/2011) called for the immediate passing of new food safety regulations by Congress to prevent these kinds of outbreaks in the first place. Food producers everywhere in the country see their sales plummeting whenever there is a new crisis reported in the media. “For its own good, the food industry needs to increase its cleansing and monitoring efforts. Big grocery chains and box stores ought to demand that their suppliers test their fruits and vegetables for pathogens before shipping them… Even legislators who vehemently oppose regulation ought to recognize that food safety is an area where government oversight is vitally important.”

I’m sure the victims of the recent disasters would all agree with these demands. It shouldn’t take a second thought to make them a reality.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Nutrition experts have long identified the lack of home cooking as one of the factors contributing to the ongoing obesity crisis, including childhood obesity. There is also general agreement that this is not an easy problem so solve. Here are a few obstacles that keep people from returning to the kitchen.

The traditional household where one spouse – usually the wife – stayed at home is no longer feasible or even desirable for most families. Women commonly have their own careers and bring in badly needed second incomes. Long work hours, commutes, school and afternoon activities make it harder if not impossible to set meal times that fit in everybody’s schedule. Picking up something on the way home that is (almost) ready to eat seems the only reasonable option on most days.

“People really are stressed out with all that they have to do, and they don’t want to cook. It’s one of the few things that even less well-off people have: They don’t have to cook,” said Julie Guthman, professor of community studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Time, or the lack of it, is certainly a factor. However, it is also true that even people who claim to be way too busy to think of cooking a meal once in a while do still have enough time to watch TV – at least 1 ½ hours every night on average. And while cooking shows like “Rachael Ray” and “Iron Chef” are highly popular, they don’t seem to have much effect on viewers in terms of motivation to take up the task themselves.

“The core problem is that cooking is defined as work,” wrote Mark Bittman in a recent op-ed article in the New York Times (9/25/2011), titled “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?”
Bittman disputes the widely accepted argument that fast food is so popular because it’s the cheapest kind of food available. “This is just plain wrong,” he wrote, “it isn’t cheaper to eat highly processed food.” For example, a meal at McDonald’s for a family of four, consisting of 2 “Big Macs”®, 1 cheeseburger, 1 6-piece “Chicken McNuggets”®, 2 medium fries, 2 small fries, 2 medium sodas and 2 small sodas, comes to a total of almost 28 dollars. For this amount, and actually much less, a home-cooked meal could include a whole chicken, potatoes, green vegetables and a simple salad on the side.

So, it’s not so much the money but the convenience, ubiquity and the habit-forming appeal that really helped processed foods to drown out all other alternatives. Now there are about five fast-food restaurants for every supermarket in the U.S., according to Bittman.

“Our addiction to processed food is the result of decades of vision and hard work by the industry,” said David A. Kessler, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and author of “The End of Overeating.” “Companies strove to create food that was energy-dense, highly stimulating, and went down easy. They put it on every street corner and made it mobile, and they made it socially acceptable to eat anytime and anyplace. They created a food carnival, and that’s where we live. And if you’re used to self-stimulation every 15 minutes, well, you can’t run into the kitchen to satisfy that urge,” he was quoted saying in the Bittman article.

Pointing fingers only at food manufacturers and restaurant chains won’t bring about the necessary changes that will make Americans (and people around the world for that matter) reconsider their eating habits. “Real cultural changes are needed to turn this around,” wrote Bittman. “The smart campaign is not to get McDonald’s to serve better food but to get people to see cooking as a joy rather than a burden, or at least as part of a normal life.”

So, what can you do to get your groove back as a hobby chef or discover your talent for the first time?

For starters, you need to “turn on your kitchen mojo,” according to Keri Heron, a Dubai-based journalist and photographer of the food blog “chefandsteward.com.” She advises to take a fun approach that avoids a sense of drudgery right from the beginning. Before you put on the apron and heat up the oven, pick your favorite music and set the right mood. Then, if you are so inclined, pour yourself a glass of wine or another favorite drink to stimulate your taste buds and get those gastric juices flowing. Don’t be shy: Dance and sing along with the music while you cut, slice and dice your ingredients. Think of your cooking not as a chore but an act of love for your family and friends who will enjoy the fruits of your labor and hopefully express their appreciation.

If you are a little rusty or have yet to gain more experience in the kitchen, buy an easy-to-follow cookbook that fits both your abilities and amenities. Don’t be intimidated or get discouraged when things don’t work out right away. One of the greatest chefs of our time, Thomas Keller (owner of “The French Laundry” in Napa Valley and “Per Se” in New York City), named the willingness to repeat and refine his recipes over and over again as the single most important element of his success.

Cooking is not an exact science, so allow yourself to be led by your imagination and curiosity, Heron recommends. There should be genuine joy and playfulness in the kitchen. Only then it will be a place you want to return to night after night (well, almost).

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

“We have clearly demonstrated that diabetes is a significant risk factor for the development of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Yutaka Kiyohara, professor at the Kyushu University in Fukuoka in Japan and lead author of the study report.

The researchers began studying residents of the town of Hisayama in the early 1960s. The original focus was on cardiovascular disease. In the mid-1980s, they started to observe the development of dementia. Each participant was monitored for an average time period of 11 years. The results were recently published in the journal, “Neurology.”

“Diabetes is a common disorder, and the number of people with [the disease] has been growing in recent years all over the world. Controlling diabetes is now more important than ever,” said Dr. Kiyohara.

Indeed, diabetes is dramatically on the rise worldwide. 230 million now suffer from the disease, up from 30 million 20 years ago. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), almost 26 million adults and children have been diagnosed in the United States alone. Another 80 million are considered pre-diabetic, meaning their blood sugar levels are routinely elevated, which can turn into a chronic condition over time if no countermeasures are taken.

The link between diabetes and dementia is not yet fully understood. Diabetes may lead to a particular type of dementia, called “vascular dementia,” in which damage to the blood vessels in the brain inhibits the flow of oxygen. There is also the possibility that the brain’s response to high levels of insulin in the body increases the risk of developing dementia. “There is some evidence that the brain is very sensitive to fuels like sugar and hormones like insulin,” said Dr. Joel Zonszein, professor of clinical medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “How exactly it happens is really speculation, we really don’t know,” he added.

To be sure, not everyone with diabetes develops dementia and not everyone who has dementia is diabetic. But still, studies have shown time and again that those with Type-2 diabetes are twice as likely to develop a type of dementia like Alzheimer’s disease. Type-2 diabetes patients often develop insulin resistance, a condition in which their cells can’t properly use insulin to absorb glucose in the bloodstream. To compensate, the pancreas releases additional insulin. The resulting higher insulin levels in the blood can lead to inflammation, which may cause, among other effects, damage to the brain cells. In addition, abnormalities in glucose metabolism and insulin levels in the brain itself may be harmful. Some researchers have therefore suggested that Alzheimer’s disease may actually be “Type-3 diabetes.” Obviously, more studies are needed to prove the existence of these connections.

Currently available measures to prevent or control diabetes may or may not lower the risk of dementia. Some diabetes drugs have been tested for the effectiveness in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. So far, none of these tests have shown more than modest improvement with regards to the symptoms of the disease. They have not stopped progression, which, of course, would be the ultimate goal.

Based on what we know today, preventing or managing diabetes is the best strategy to avoid further complications, one of which may be dementia. This will also reduce the risk of other potentially debilitating effects, including heart- and kidney disease and damage to the optical nerves and nerve endings in the extremities.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Employer-based health insurance is quickly becoming a thing of the past, tens of millions are insufficiently or not at all covered, Medicare and Medicaid are under increasing financial and political pressure, more hospitals and emergency rooms are being closed than opened, rural areas and low-income neighborhoods are severely underserved, and there is a fast-growing shortage of general practitioners in the medical profession. These are just a few examples of many alarming issues that continue to make health care a menacing problem in this country.

Many Americans rely on calling 911 as their only option when catastrophe strikes. Catastrophe can mean anything from injuries suffered in an accident, heart attack, stroke, asthma attack, to adverse reactions to foods or medications. 30 to 40 million emergency calls are places every year in the U.S., according to federal record keeping.

The costs for responding to emergency calls are high. Most will never be repaid because the heaviest users of the system are uninsured and too poor to pay out of pocket. So, more and more cash-strapped communities are looking for ways to reduce the number of calls for help.

Especially in rural areas where medical services are harder to come by, local governments have been experimenting with alternatives to the traditional doctor’s office. One idea in particular seems to have gotten some traction. It’s called the “community paramedic.”

As reported in the New York Times (9/19/2011), the town of Eagle in Colorado, for example, has begun to retrain former first-responders to provide preventive care for seniors to keep them out of hospitals and nursing homes for as long as possible. Visits at senior centers to teach classes in nutrition, regular exercise and accident prevention are all part of the job description of this new brand of paramedics, which proponents say will improve the quality of people’s lives and save communities millions of dollars in health care costs.

Big cities like San Francisco, San Diego and Washington, D.C. have already begun to send paramedics pro-actively into low-income neighborhoods and to the homeless population to reduce the amounts of 911 calls.

The federal Health Resources and Services Administration, which collects data on access to health care nationwide, is expected to implement this year a new system for measuring the performance of community paramedics, according to the Times. “What we have had is a patchwork of different cities trying different things, and different paramedics reinventing the wheel each time,” said Niels Tangherlini, a paramedic captain at the fire department of San Francisco who helped create the city’s preventive health care program for homeless people. As a next step he hopes for a much broader implementation of the concept, which he sees as a better approach because it’s “pro-active rather than just reactive.”

Pro-active measures often come down to the most basic and simple things in health care, such as human contact and interaction. Kevin Creek, a community paramedic in Colorado, works primarily with seniors. He makes house calls, organizes medications, checks on blood sugar levels and blood pressure and countless other day-to-day chores. For many of his patients he is nothing less than a lifeline.

No matter how successful and popular programs like these may be, their survival is by no means guaranteed. Under federal law, emergency medical responders get only reimbursed for their services if they transport a patient to a medical facility. Cutting down on 911 calls is not necessarily in their best interest in terms of their bottom line. When the homeless outreach program at the San Francisco Fire Department lead to a 75 percent reduction in emergency calls, which saved the city an estimated $12 million, it was still discontinued because of concerns that resources would be diverted from traditional emergency response funds, which are already dangerously low due to ongoing budget cuts.

Even staunch supporters of preventive health care admit that success is hard to measure. How do you know what exactly is being prevented? If saving money is the only objective, then you may never truly appreciate the benefits of such programs. But if you consider the increase of quality of life for the elderly, the chronically sick and the poor who are given at least a minimum amount of care they otherwise wouldn’t have, then you know it’s worth the effort and the expense.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

The median household income fell nationally last year back to the levels of 1997. It is the first time since the Great Depression that Americans earned less, adjusted for inflation, than they did over a decade ago.

Predictably, minorities were hit the hardest, with poverty rates twice as high as those of non-Hispanic whites. Southern states had the highest amount of people falling into poverty – almost double the rate of the Northeast, Midwest and West.

The poverty threshold is an annual income of $22,314 for a family of four and $11,344 for a single person.

“This is truly a lost decade,” said Lawrence Katz, an economics professor at Harvard University. “We think of America as a place where every generation is doing better, but we’re looking at a period when the median family is in worse shape than it was in the late 1990s.”

As income declined, the number of people without health insurance coverage rose. Nearly 50 million are now uninsured, almost a million more since 2009. For many working-age Americans, job loss and long-term unemployment lead to loss of employer-provided health insurance or affordable alternatives. And those who are working often struggle to maintain their coverage. In 2010, approximately 55 percent of working Americans were insured by their employers, a 10 percent decrease from 2000, according to the census report.

Studies on the causes of poverty have shown that there are three important components that hold together the social safety net for most people: Income, health and relationships. If one of these fails, the other two are usually still able to bridge the gap, at least for some time. However, if two out of three are diminished, the chances for falling into poverty and even homelessness rise sharply. In other words, if you lose your job but are healthy and have a stable marriage or partnership (especially if there is a second income in a household), you are much better equipped to get through the ordeal of temporary unemployment than if you are sick and/or on your own. That may sound like a no-brainer, but it is exactly the kind of situation that most poor people are dealing with.

The harsh realities of poverty affect the youngest members of society even more. 22 percent of children and adolescents under 18 are now considered poor. Hunger or what is called in bureaucratic terms, “food insecurity,” affects 15 million kids in this country today. Considering the importance of healthy nutrition for normal physical and mental development at a young age, there is a whole generation that is being lost in front of our eyes.

Nutrition-related diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, are most common among the poor. With healthy foods out of reach because of high prices and lack of outlets in low-income neighborhoods, poor families have little choice but to survive on junk food.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has recently published a report on “Health Disparities in Life Expectancy and Death,” documenting current health disparities in New York City based on differences in race, ethnicity and economics. Other factors included in the study were social and physical environmental conditions, opportunities, stressors that impact health, access to primary and preventive health care and quality of health care received.

Trying to identify how poverty and health are interrelated, the researchers wrote: “Living in poverty makes it difficult to know about, find or access a variety of resources that promote health and prevent illness. For example, people living in poor neighborhoods may have access to fewer opportunities to exercise and buy healthy food. Living with limited resources also increases stress and anxiety, which can, in turn, lead to unhealthy habits, like smoking and drug use. In the other direction, poor health can prevent people from completing their education and obtaining well-paying jobs, which can lead to subsequent poverty.”

In other words, the decline of income, social safety and health are all part of the same vicious cycle. To break it, the Health Department makes a number of recommendations, including setting up “health policies that benefit vulnerable populations,” directing “resources to target communities disproportionately affected by illness and premature death,” and implementing “policies that reduce economic and social disadvantages.”

In the meantime, the White House and Congress continue debating how to cut hundreds of billions of dollars more from entitlements and aid programs. I guess the statistics are not scary enough just yet.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

About 36 million people die every year from NCDs, almost 80 percent of them in poor countries where access to preventive health care measures like early diagnosis, treatment and education is very limited. Campaigns to reduce smoking rates, improving diets, encouraging exercise and making more life-saving drugs available at affordable prices would make a real difference in many of these places.

There is a common story around tobacco, alcohol, diet and exercise. By addressing these issues and finding better solutions to fight their impact on people’s health would be both significant and cost-effective, according to David Kerr, president of the European Society of Medical Oncology.

The focus at the UN meeting will be on fatty foods, sugary drinks and, above all, tobacco use. Cigarette smoking alone will kill more than billion people worldwide in this century if current trends persist, according to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Still, many governments will find it hard to implement more draconian measures to reduce smoking in their countries. In Japan, for example, 50 percent of the tobacco industry is owned by the state. In China, where a third of all smokers in the world live, sales from the state-run tobacco industry account for nine percent of fiscal revenues. And here in the U.S., cigarette makers continue to rake in robust profits, if not from the domestic market then certainly from exports.

So it should not come as a surprise that after months of tough negotiations only a much watered-down compromise could be found to which a majority of nations would be willing to commit. Among the surviving intentions are: A pledge to institute a global monitoring framework within the UN that will assess future developments in the spread of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and various types of cancer. There will also be a catalogue of recommendations for actions to be taken by individual governments to reduce NCDs and related risk factors. If this sounds somewhat vague, it’s because it is.

Yet the UN is lucky to have come this far. Diplomats involved in the preliminary drafting of the agenda reported that negotiations stalled several times because of heavy lobbying efforts by food, tobacco and drug industries, according to the British Medical Journal.

Funding is a major concern. It is still unclear how the planned monitoring- and promotional measures will be financed. The WHO may end up having to ask wealthier governments to raise funds, for example by imposing higher taxes on tobacco and sodas, to support the efforts of poorer nations. At this time, even the most optimistic health advocates don’t dare to hope for funding on par with the resources that were provided for the global fight against AIDS in 2001.

Unlike AIDS, which until recently was an almost certain death sentence for those affected with the disease, NCDs are not commonly seen as an immediate threat to the survival of large parts of the world population. Stopping people from smoking or providing cheap drugs like aspirin or statins to prevent heart attacks and strokes may be easy and cost-effective by comparison, but simple measures like these don’t provide many incentives for governments and private sectors to invest. “The time horizon for the return on that investment is very long and beyond many political horizons,” said Dr. Gordon Tomaselli, president of the American Heart Association (AHA). “So it’s difficult to get people to commit to these kinds of resources.”

Nevertheless, a complete failure to come to some consensus about the seriousness of the NCDs crisis and the necessity for counteraction would be tragic. “A major opportunity to advance global health is in danger of being lost if substantive targets are not set and nations don’t agree to be held accountable for meeting them,” warned the medical journal, “The Lancet,” in a recent editorial (30/16/2011).

If not much else, at the very least, the meeting, which will be attended not only by expert representatives but also heads of state, will help to raise awareness and remove some of the stigma that is often associated with obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases. The world needs to know that this is no longer a matter of personal choices but a menace to public health that would be perfectly preventable if the right policies were put in place.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

The “Healthy Eating Plate,” as the alternative plan is called, offers more specific recommendations for following a healthy diet than MyPlate, which was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS).

The Harvard plan is “based on the most up-to-date nutrition research, [which] provides consumers with the information they need to make choices that can profoundly affect their health and wellbeing,” said Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. He went on to say that he and his team tried to address the shortcomings of the government’s guidelines: “The main thing is that MyPlate isn’t specific enough to really give enough guidance.”

Like the MyPlate icon, the Harvard recommendations are conceived in form of a plate. There is a similar division in four sections for fruit, vegetables, grains and protein but with added information on what foods in each category are actually healthier than others. For example, a clear distinction is being made between grains and whole grains. Whole grains are part of a healthy diet, while refined grains such as white bread and white rice are not.

Likewise, not all sources of protein are equally recommended. Fish, beans, nuts and, to a lesser extent, poultry and lean meats are considered good sources, however, red meat, bacon, cold cuts and processed meats are not and should be avoided altogether.

Even vegetables are not all safe. Most are, but potatoes, especially in form of French fries, shouldn’t count as healthy. The reason is that potatoes are full of rapidly digested starch and can have a “roller-coaster effect” on blood sugar levels and insulin secretion – which can lead to overeating with all its well-known consequences.

With regards to oils, the government’s guidelines are mum. But there are healthy fats we can get from olive- and canola oil and they are important to mention, according to Dr. Willet.

He is also critical of the inclusion of milk in every meal, as the MyPlate graphic seems to suggest by adding a separate container for dairy products. “Modest dairy consumption is OK,” he said, “but having a glass of milk with every meal is excessive and does not reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.” The Harvard plate replaces milk with water and recommends only one or two servings of low-fat milk per day. The consumption of fruit juices should be limited, while sugary sodas should be completely avoided.

The Healthy Eating Plate also features a symbol reminding us of the importance of exercise, something that is completely missing from the MyPlate graphic.

One of the reasons for publishing an alternative and arguably improved version of the just released USDA guidelines is the growing frustration among health- and nutrition experts over the domineering influence of the food industry on government policy-making. “Unfortunately, like the earlier USDA [Food] Pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not a recipe for healthy eating,” said Dr. Willett.

Other nutrition experts voiced criticism with regards to some aspects of the Harvard approach. For example, some noted that dairy products like milk and yogurt should not be limited for children because of the importance of sufficient calcium supply during growth. Others worried that the new graphic was too detailed and too hard for many consumers to follow. Defenders of the MyPlate say that the strength of the USDA icon is its simplicity, while it is also much more intuitive and self-explanatory than the Food Pyramid variations of the past. It would not be helpful to give up on that advantage by adding on more information.

I think that both the USDA and the Harvard concept are a step in the right direction. Considering how much consumers are already confused about eating right and staying healthy, user-friendliness is certainly a virtue. Those who are ready and willing to embark on a regimen of good nutrition and regular exercise learn very quickly that it’s not a one-step process but a life-long journey that has many ups and downs. So it makes sense to begin with a few essentials and go from there as one progresses. In the end, success will only come with stick-to-itiveness and the willingness to keep learning – I’m sure the Harvard professors can appreciate that.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Before the Internet – if you are old enough to remember that there once was such a time – things were different. You had to go to a bookstore or a library and study up if you wanted to know about something in greater detail. Now, it’s all literally at your fingertips. We are all experts now.

While there is nothing wrong with a better-informed society – to the contrary – these changes have certain consequences we need to be aware of. Expertise and authority are being much more questioned now than they used to be. Not long ago, if you went to the doctor, he told you what to do to cure your ailment – and that was that. Today, it’s more the other way around. My own clients bring me stacks of printouts from websites they’ve browsed through before scheduling their next consulting session.

At the same time, it seems, we are not able to translate this dramatic increase of knowledge into action. We have the data, we receive the instructions, but incorporating them in our daily lives is still another matter.

Take, for example, the government’s “Dietary Guidelines.” Never before in history were we given so much detailed information about our nutritional health. At the same time, the obesity crisis keeps getting worse. Why the disconnect? Obviously the messages are not getting through despite of the fact that they’re being conveyed in the most user-friendly ways.

Communication experts have long known that what they call the “entertainment factor” plays an important role in the learning process. To absorb information – any information ¬– our attention must first be aroused. Then it must be kept stimulated, so our attention span extends long enough for the message to be delivered. The news industry knows that, the advertising industry knows that, the entertainment industry knows that – they all live and die by how well they perform this fine art of keeping us, the audience, interested.

ABC News/Health has recently published a survey of how popular TV shows influence viewers’ behavior in terms of their health. They listed programs that played in a hospital or health care environment, like “Grey’s Anatomy,” a hospital drama. Of course, the “Biggest Loser” on NBC, which is about to start its 12th season, has to be mentioned. A new reality show, titled “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition,” follows a similar format. “The Last Heart Attack,” an episode of CNN’s health series “Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports” that included an interview with former President Bill Clinton on his heart condition, made a big splash. Analysts involved in these surveys say these shows do have an impact on the audience beyond viewing time.

When viewers follow a person’s struggle to lose weight and regain their health, they eventually come to think about themselves. “It’s about changing your mindset, [which] is going to be life-changing and personality-changing,” said Dr. Keith Ayoob, professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, referring to the participants in “Extreme Makeover.” Some of these effects inevitably rub off on the audience, which, of course, is the point.

Undoubtedly, we are visual creatures. What we see influences us perhaps more than any other factor in our daily learning processes. Often that takes place in a subconscious manner. Here is an example: A few days ago, I saw the movie “Contagion,” a thriller about the outbreak of a lethal virus that ends up killing millions around the globe. As the title indicates, the infection is highly contagious and can be transmitted by coughing, touching and even by indirect contact, like holding on to a railing or pressing an elevator button. The initial symptoms are similar to a severe cold or flu before it gets much worse.

Although the movie theater was quite full, there was not a single cough to be heard throughout the performance – which is unusual, because hearing someone else cough can often result in similar reactions around that person; it’s psychologically contagious, too, if you will. I think it’s not far fetched to think that nobody in that audience dared to cough because of the drama that was unfolding in front of our eyes. And after the film, guess what? That’s right. Bathrooms filled up fast with people wanting to wash their hands as quickly as possible. They don’t do this normally, not to that extent.

So what can health care providers, like myself, learn from all this? For starters, we should certainly not dismiss the value of good entertainment. Despite of increased efforts to make health education more palatable, especially for younger generations, criticism persists that it remains impractical, elitist and out of touch with the real world. Many comments in the press on the newest version of the government’s nutritional guidelines for Americans, “Myplate,” reflect this continuing sentiment. Maybe, we experts should get out of the proverbial ivory tower more often and go the movies instead.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Antioxidants, which are present in high amounts in tomatoes, have been found to be protective against many cancers, including colon-, prostate-, breast-, endometrial- (the lining tissue of the uterus), lung- and pancreatic cancers.

Phytochemicals like lycopene and carotenoids protect cells from so-called “free radicals,” molecules known to wreak havoc in the body and accelerate the aging process.

Lycopene has also cardiovascular benefits. Studies have found that a high dietary intake of tomato products significantly reduces total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.

Vitamin A, also richly present in tomatoes, is essential for the preservation of good vision. In addition, Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin.

Vitamin C strengthens the immune system and helps building resistance against infections.

Vitamin K helps maintaining bone density because of its ability to activate osteocalcin, a chemical that anchors calcium molecules inside the bones.

Potassium is an important component of cell- and body fluids and also helps to control heart rate and blood pressure.

Especially the red varieties are filled with flavonoids, which can protect against certain cancers, including lung cancer.

All tomatoes are a good source of folate, iron, calcium, manganese and other important minerals the body needs to function properly.

A colorful history
Botanically, tomatoes are actually not vegetables but fruits. Known by the scientific name, “Solanum lycopersicum,” they are members of the “Nightshade” (Solanaceae) plant family, which also includes bell peppers, eggplants and white potatoes.

The name reflects some mystery that has surrounded the tomato plant for centuries. “Lycopersicon” is the Latin word for “wolf peach,” which was probably chosen because of a long-held belief that this fruit was dangerous – as dangerous as a wolf.

The French seemed less fearful and called it “pomme d’amour,” meaning “apple of love.” They believed that eating tomatoes had an aphrodisiacal effect, comparable to Viagra or Cialis today. And in Italy, where tomatoes are arguably the most popular, they call them “pomodoro,” the “golden apple.”

Originally, tomatoes were native only to South America’s west coast, including the Galapagos Islands. The early types cultivated by humans resembled today’s cherry tomatoes. At that time, they were usually not eaten but rather displayed for decoration, like flowers.

The use of tomatoes as food became eventually popular in Mexico, perhaps because the people there were already familiar with a fruit called “tomatillo,” a type of small green tomato (in Spanish: “Tomate verde”) that was a staple in their cuisine. When the conquistadores invaded the country in the 16th century, they took seeds of tomato plants back to Spain. Soon thereafter, tomatoes were introduced all over Europe. The early colonists brought tomato seeds with them to North America. Today, farmers in the United States rank among the top producers of tomatoes worldwide.

Many varieties to choose from
Tomatoes come in many sizes, shapes and colors. In fact, there are thousands of varieties, including hybrids and genetically modified versions. The so-called “heirloom” tomatoes are becoming increasingly popular, especially among organic producers and their clientele.

Heirlooms, a.k.a. “heritage tomatoes,” are open-pollinated, non-hybrid cultivars. Many have been passed down through several generations of growers and are highly valued for their unique flavors, coloring and other characteristics. They too come in all sizes, from beefsteak to cherry. Some have names as colorful as their looks, like “Big Rainbow,” “Cherokee Purple,” “Red Brandywine,” “Green Zebra,” “Red Zebra” – or, how about “Mortgage Lifter”?

Tomatoes taste best when they are freshly harvested during the summer and early fall. The flavors typically change as the season progresses, with most varieties becoming more acidic over time. Unfortunately, tomatoes are subject to a number of diseases, including fungal and bacterial infections, especially in cool rainy weather. Still, I would always recommend choosing the organic kind to avoid exposure to pesticides.

Select only tomatoes with rich, deep colors. The skin should be smooth with no wrinkles, cracks, bruises or soft spots. Ripe tomatoes will yield to a slight squeeze. When buying canned tomatoes, make sure you get a reputable brand. Not all imports follow strict standards for lead content in cans. This is especially important for tomatoes because their high acidity can cause corrosion, which may result in poisoning.

Tomatoes continue to ripen after they are picked. You can keep them at room temperature or put them in the fridge if they are close to becoming overripe. Whole tomatoes and tomato sauce freeze well for future use in cooked dishes. Sundried tomatoes should be stored in airtight containers at a cool temperature.

Many Americans know tomatoes best in form of ketchup. Although it’s not as beneficial as the real thing, tomato ketchup is not completely void of nutrients. Much of the lycopene content remains intact after processing. However, it is worth buying organic ketchup because it contains up to three times more lycopene than regular brands.

Many ways to prepare and enjoy
Eating tomatoes raw and unaltered is the quickest (and perhaps best) way to get all the nutritional benefits. However, cooked tomatoes, which can be used in sauces, purées or soups, contain even higher amounts of lycopene. Tests have shown that chopping and heating makes phytonutrients and other health-promoting components in tomatoes more potent. And tomato paste, especially when the skin is included in the making, has a high concentration of carotenoids.

In addition to enjoying tomatoes just as nature made them, you can dry, bake, roast, sauté, blenderize or utilize them in countless other ways. On a hot summer day, there is nothing better tasting than chilled gazpacho made from scratch. When it gets cooler outside, maybe it’s time for a hearty tomato-based soup with lots of vegetables to be added. Any good vegetarian cookbook will give you plenty of ideas – or you just find out for yourself how versatile tomatoes truly can be.

For great ideas to use tomatoes in different dishes, go to our recipe section. Try our home-made Bruschetta, Tomato Soup or Baked Penne Pasta Italiano.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

“By taking action to address the issue of childhood obesity,” the president went on, “we can help America’s next generation reach their full potential.”

As an example for the kind of action the president had in mind, he named his wife’s initiative, called “Let’s Move!” – a program that encourages government agencies, corporations and advocacy groups to unite in the fight against the growing obesity crisis that afflicts America’s youngest generation today.

His call for action couldn’t have come too soon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past 30 years. One if five children age six to 11 is now being considered obese. The numbers are similar for adolescents age 12 to 19. And the trend continues. “Childhood obesity statistics and facts are more and more pessimistic and should be an alarm sign for all those who don’t take it seriously,” warns the latest CDC report on obesity trends in America of 2010.

The reasons why we are facing a childhood obesity epidemic today are multi-faceted, which makes it hard to pinpoint particular causes. Lifestyle is certainly a factor, but so are genetics, socio-economic factors, exposure to marketing and advertising, education and culture. “Most factors of overweight and obesity do not work in isolation, and solely targeting one factor may not make a significant impact on the growing problem,” concludes a report on childhood obesity by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

One particularly decisive factor for the rise in obesity can probably be found in the major lifestyle shifts that took place in the 1960s, according Dr. Tracy Deutsch, a history professor at the University of Minnesota who specializes in women studies and consumer culture. It was a time when more women entered the work force, partly to have their own professional careers but also to add a much-needed second income to their households. “Women working outside the home doesn’t cause obesity,” she said, “but it exacerbates the problem. They have less time to cook and plan meals, but they still need to feed their families. Processed and fast food is often the easiest and most affordable option.”

Today, we see the consequences of these changes much more clearly. According to Dr. Deutsch, today’s young adults are the first generation that has basically been brought up on junk food. “The tastes they developed as children continue to inform their eating choices,” she said. And as young parents, they pass these preferences on to their kids, one might add.

Families eat half of their meals outside the home, mostly at pizza parlors and fast food joints. Not only is restaurant food often loaded with fat, salt and sugar, the portion sizes have also grown dramatically. When restaurant owners discovered that offering larger portions wouldn’t add much in costs but would attract more customers seeking the biggest bang for their buck, they went for supersizing as a lucrative business model.

According to Dr. Lisa Young, professor for nutrition at New York University and author of the “Portion Teller,” the trend towards larger portion sizes began in the 1970s, increased sharply in the 1980s and continues to rise today.

Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles are often named as major causes for the obesity crisis for both children and adults. As the HHS notes, schools are still decreasing the amount of physical activity they offer during school hours. Only about one-third of elementary school children receive physical education (PE) and less than one fifth have extracurricular sports programs at their schools. PE classes at high school level have been reduced to a mere 25 percent. Many school districts have all but eliminated PE because of financial constraints or strictly test-oriented curricula.

In his announcement, President Obama emphasized that childhood obesity is a national problem. It cuts across all cultural and demographic lines, he said. That is true to a degree. But, as the HHS report points out, socio-economic status – e.g. parental income, parental education, occupation status, etc. – have an enormous impact on a child’s nutritional health. African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are disproportionately more affected by obesity. Low-income neighborhoods notoriously suffer from lack of access to healthy foods. Children who grow up in less than safe environments are much more likely to stay indoors. The absence of sidewalks, bike paths, public parks and sports facilities leave families few options to maintain a regular exercise routine.

Last but not least, it deserves to be mentioned that the food industry is not necessarily on the same side as health advocates. Food and beverage companies collectively spend tens of billions of dollars annually to reach young consumers, mostly through TV ads. Researchers have clearly established a direct link between exposure to food advertising and increasing rates of obesity among children, according to the HHS. As far back as in the 1970s and 1980s, experimental studies have shown that children under the age of eight were much more likely than older kids to believe that TV ads were telling the truth and that exposure to TV ads influenced their food choices and requests from their parents. A review by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the amount of time spent watching TV correlated significantly to children’s calorie intake as well as to specific food preferences.

I personally think the president is overly optimistic if he truly believes that together as a nation we can stop childhood obesity in its track. There are too many diverse interests at stake here. Several measures that could be taken right now are not being implemented on any level, federal, state or local. How about imposing significantly higher taxes on sodas and fast foods to curb consumption? How about outlawing advertising snacks and sodas to kids the way we outlawed tobacco ads to minors? These are baby steps by comparison to what’s needed to reverse this epidemic. But even they can’t get off the ground.

I applaud both the president and the first lady for bringing childhood obesity to the forefront of their agenda. But raising awareness can only be a first step and good will alone won’t save an entire generation that is now in peril.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter and on Facebook.

Most yoga styles focus on physical poses, called “asanas.” They also include breathing techniques and forms of meditation. There are other versions that teach you to move your body in unfamiliar ways. These are meant to build greater flexibility, strength and balance.

Now, researchers are finding that there may be many more health benefits in connection with yoga than previously thought. One small study involving 123 middle-aged and older adults concluded that diabetic yoga practitioners might be able to control their blood sugar levels better than their non-practicing counterparts. The study results were published in the journal “Diabetes Care.”

The researchers said they did not mean to suggest that yoga should be considered as an alternative to traditional treatments of diabetes, such as weight loss and medical blood sugar control. “To really lose weight and rein in blood sugar, more vigorous exercise would work better,” wrote Dr. Shreelaxmi V. Hedge of the Shrinivas Institute of Medical Science and Research Center in Mangalore, India and leader of the study. Still, she said, “it should be noted that yoga controlled the blood sugar levels, which otherwise rose in the [non-yoga-practicing] control group.”

The yoga style her research was based on is a relatively “gentle” version among yoga practices. It was chosen because it is easy to get into. Some more vigorous styles involving complicated poses would not be appropriate for older adults and those with chronic health conditions, according to Dr. Hedge.

In fact, a lot of people shy away from taking up yoga because they consider themselves as too old, too stiff and too unfit to perform even the most basic poses. Yoga instructors generally disagree with such preconceptions. The consensus is that nobody is ever too old or too out of shape to improve flexibility.

Stretching releases the lactic acid built up in the muscles, which can cause stiffness, tension, pain and fatigue. It also increases the range of motion in the joints and promotes their lubrication. This results in more ease and fluidity throughout the body. Yoga stretches do not only benefit the muscles and joints but all tissues in the body, including ligaments, tendons and the fascia sheath that surround the muscles.

More rigorous yoga styles are focused on building muscle mass. They are called “ashtanga” or “power yoga.” But even tamer versions, such as “Iyengar” or “hatha,” which are designed to achieve optimal alignments in their poses, can help improve strength and endurance. Poses that strengthen the lower back and abdominal muscles are especially helpful for people who spend many hours sitting. More strength and flexibility afford better posture, which counterbalances the potential damages from extended immobility.

Perhaps the most studies on the benefits of yoga have been conducted with regards to its effect on heart health. Practicing yoga is highly recommended as a non-medical tool to help lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. Again, it is not to be taken as an alternative to other forms of hypertension- or heart disease treatment but as a useful support element.

The same goes for measures to control cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Studies have shown that yoga helped lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and improve blood circulation in patients with cardiovascular disease. Some hospitals have incorporated yoga into their post-cardiac rehabilitation program.

There is also evidence that yoga helps to release antioxidant agents into the blood stream. In Dr. Hedge’s study, participants who practiced yoga suffered significantly less from what is called “oxidative stress,” a condition that is caused by molecules, also know as “free radicals,” that damage cells and contribute to a host of diseases. “Yoga may curb oxidative stress because it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system – the part of the nervous system that acts as a brake against the gas pedal of the sympathetic nervous system,” said Dr. Hedge.

The calming effects of yoga are certainly among its best-known qualities. Even beginners and infrequent practitioners appreciate the anti-stress benefits. Some say that doing yoga exercises in the morning improves their mood and ability to concentrate for the rest of the day. Others claim that they have been able to overcome addictions and improve their lives in countless more aspects, including in the bedroom.

Needless to say, there is little chance to scientifically prove the validity of all these assertions. What matters more is that people experience a sense of well-being when they engage in the practice. “Yoga helps reduce stress. That can impact your overall health,” said Dr. Deepak Chopra, world-renowned author of wellness books and advocate of alternative medicine. “While yoga won’t cure everything that ails you – or make your boss nicer – it will help you deal with stress better. And that could make a big difference,” he added.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TimiGustafsonRD

Today, weight problems are affecting two thirds of the American population. Obesity rates have skyrocketed from 15 percent to well over 30 percent. Just by looking at these numbers, it is obvious that the government’s efforts to improve our eating habits have been a dismal failure.

In June 2011, the traditional “Food Pyramid” was replaced with a new icon, named “MyPlate,” which supposedly resembles a dinner plate divided in four segments of various sizes. Each part is dedicated to a different food group: Vegetables, fruits, grains and protein as well as a serving of dairy products on the side.

So far, reactions have been mixed. Many nutrition experts have praised the simplicity of the graphic, which they believe will make the guidelines more intelligible and user-friendly than its predecessors. Others have criticized it as too simplistic to explain the intricacies of important dietetic principles. All of this may be true, however, the main question should be: Are consumers better off than they were with the older versions – or without following any of the government’s guidelines for that matter?

A great deal of attention was given this time to the “primary suspects” that most likely cause Americans to get fatter and fatter. Added sugars in sodas and processed foods belong to this group of offenders. So do fats, solid (butter) or liquid (oils). Sodium (salt) is seen as a major culprit, not only for weight gain but more so for high blood pressure and heart problems. Portion sizes are also of great concern. Americans do not only eat badly, they also eat way too much, the guidelines conclude.

So, the “MyPlate” recommendations call for a radical departure from all that. Forget the meat and potato diet of generations past. Instead, we are urged to eat at least five servings of vegetables, four servings of fruit, three cups of low-fat dairy products and six ounces of whole grains every day. Besides cutting back on fat, salt and sugar, we also better not indulge too much in alcohol and caffeine. Exercise, on the other hand, is something we can never get enough of: A minimum of 30 minutes daily is a must (60 to 90 minutes would be ideal).

Sounds good. But is it realistic? Considering our busy lifestyles and – with food prices constantly rising – our budget constraints, can the government seriously expect that people are willing or even able to follow its advice?

“I think there’s a risk of these guidelines setting people up for failure,” said Dr. Annette Dickinson, president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association of dietary supplement manufacturers. “We know that people already aren’t doing what the last guidelines said. Yet these are more stringent. It is good to have a goal to shoot for. But this is just not a real-life solution.”

People don’t change their eating habits because somebody tells them to. For most of us, it takes a heart attack to get us thinking about our diet, according to Mark Bittman, a New York Times columnist and author of the book “How to Cook Everything.” “I couldn’t follow those guidelines. I look at [them] and I’m going to adapt to as many of them as I can. But am I going to let this stuff scare me and run my life? Not unless I have to,” said Bittman.

Someone who famously changed his diet in radical ways is former president Bill Clinton. As he stated himself in a highly publicized interview with neurosurgeon and part-time CNN anchor/commentator Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Clinton decided to become a strict vegetarian to better control his heart disease. For people like him, eating right is a matter of life and death. But that’s an extreme situation. For the rest of us, there must be room for some flexibility, according to Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, director of nutrition for WebMD Health.

“Start where you are today and look toward guidelines as goals. If you are eating one serving of vegetables, eat two or three. If you are not exercising, 90 minutes a day is too much. Take baby steps. Make the changes in your lifestyle that help you incorporate some of these recommendations a little at a time,” said Zelman.

Bittman recommends a similar strategy. Seeing the larger picture of your nutritional needs is more important than following the recommendations to the letter, he said. “Set a rough limit for yourself. Be aware of the calories in different kinds of food, but don’t get obsessed counting them. Say, I’m going to try to eat two cups each of vegetables and fruit every day and a cup or two of whole grains every day. Even if you get 600 calories from a Big Mac and 450 calories from a medium order of fries, if the rest of your day’s diet were broccoli and apples and bulgur, you wouldn’t be that bad off.”

So, here are your more workable guidelines: Eat your burger or steak once in a while, if you must. But then make sure you’re getting plenty of the healthy stuff for balance. And that workout schedule? Stop putting it off.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TimiGustafsonRD

These are the findings of a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of its National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is widely acknowledged among experts as the gold standard for evaluating food- and beverage-related consumer habits. The results are based on over 17,000 interviews between 2005 and 2008.

“Sugar-sweetened beverages are the number one single source of calories in the American diet and account for about half of all added sugars that people consume,” said Dr. Rachel Johnson, a nutrition expert at the University of Vermont, speaking on behalf of the American Heart Association (AHA). The association advises that people should consume not more than 36 ounces or about 450 calories from sugary drinks – a week.

The CDC study has been released less than two weeks after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) withheld its support for a proposal to exclude soda drinks from New York City’s food stamp program, which was championed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is also known for his strong anti-smoking advocacy.

With anti-soda legislation still facing a rough road ahead, consumer advocacy groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) say it’s time to think of more effective strategies to increase awareness of the health risks from excessive soda consumption. “Reducing the consumption of sodas and other sugary drinks would be a major public health victory and would help reduce health care costs for all levels of government,” the group wrote in a statement. CSPI announced a new campaign called “Life’s Sweeter With Fewer Sugary Drinks.”

What’s required in this ongoing battle against the health hazards from sodas is an involvement of health experts, civic organizations, youth groups, civil rights groups and many others, according to CSPI director Michael F. Jacobson. He pointed out that the worst health problems caused by excessive soda consumption occur among minorities, the poor and the young. “Not since the anti-tobacco campaigns has there been a product so worthy of a national health campaign,” he said.

Despite of New York City’s recent setback, there are signs that the anti-soda movement is catching on in many more parts of the country. In Boston, soda sales have recently been banned from city property. Public schools are no longer allowed to sell sugary beverages on campus. An extensive media campaign against soda consumption that specifically targets parents of young children is in the works. Later this month, the Los Angeles County Health Department plans to implement a host of similar policies.

In the meantime, there has been considerable pushback coming from the beverage industry. Soda makers have sued health departments from New York to California. The industry, which insists that it only defends itself against baseless attacks, has filed numerous requests for scientific proof of the claims made by government agencies.

Anti-soda advocates say that these requests for documentation, which often require hundreds of staff hours from cash-strapped governments on the local and state level, are only made to sabotage new health policies before they can get off the ground. They come directly from the tobacco industry’s playbook, according to Ian McLaughlin, an attorney at the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Oakland, California. “It is, in our opinion, an effort to overwhelm or smother government employees, who already have too much to do,” he said.

Santa Clara County in California received subpoena letters asking for records relating to its “Rethink Your Drink” education program. Similar notifications were sent to Chicago and Seattle county governments for their publications connected to beverage education efforts, according to Reuters (“Soda Makers Escalate Attacks Over Obesity,” 7/29/2011).

The American Beverage Association (ABA) says that food and beverage makers are being unfairly singled out. “Sugar-sweetened beverages are not driving health issues like obesity and diabetes. In fact, recently published data from CDC researchers show that sugar-sweetened beverages play a declining role in the American diet, even as obesity is increasing,” said Christopher Gindlesperger, director of communications for the ABA.

From 2009 to 2010, the ABA, Coke and Pepsi, two of the largest producers of sodas, have collectively spent $60 million on lobbying efforts against raising taxes on sugary beverages to cover obesity-related health care costs, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics (Reuters ibid.).

In going after public health campaigns, the ABA is taking its cues from the tobacco wars of the 1990s. Back then, tobacco companies embarked on a Freedom of Information effort, targeting government agencies for their anti-smoking legislation, according to a report by the National Cancer Institute.

“For beverage manufacturers, the issue of obesity is kind of Armageddon,” said Tom Pirko, an industry consultant. He may have hit the nail on the head. Once the evidence that tobacco use causes cancer became overwhelming, people finally started paying attention and smoking went down dramatically. When the connection between sugary drinks and obesity becomes similarly clear, a large-scale change of consumer behavior will likely follow. In other words, if it’s no longer considered cool to smoke today, it may no longer be cool to guzzle sodas tomorrow. Obviously, there is a long way to go.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TimiGustafsonRD

Here is a short list of the more recent findings:

• Blueberries have been shown to shrink cancerous tumors and prevent the development and growth of cancer cells.

• Blueberries can slow down and even reverse age-related memory loss.

• Blueberries can help improve physical coordination and balance at an advanced age.

• Blueberries reduce cholesterol levels.

• Blueberries prevent urinary tract infections.

• Blueberries are low in calories and high in fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants, all of which makes them extremely nutritionally beneficial.

This seems a lot of punch to pack for such a plain little berry, but all these claims are backed up by growing evidence.

For example, a study conducted at Ohio State University in 2009 found that when lab rats with blood vessel tumors were fed blueberry extract, their cancer growth was halted and even reversed. The blueberry-fed rats lived on average twice as long as those that were given none. Blood vessel tumor is among the most common cancer types affecting young children and occurs in about three percent of all infants. Researchers hope that the use of blueberries may some day be part of the treatment of these usually inoperable tumors.

A separate study that was conducted in 2007 at Rutgers University in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that a specific compound in blueberries, named pterostilbene, was able to inhibit the spread of cancer cells in the colon of lab rats. And in 2005, researchers at the University of Illinois reported that antioxidants in wild blueberries, called anthocyanins, could prevent certain cancers from forming and proliferating in the prostate and the liver. “Blueberries seem to have “cancer-fighting properties at all stages: Initiation, promotion and proliferation,” said Dr. Mary Ann Lila, the lead author of the study report. “Wild blueberry compounds offer a multi-pronged attack against cancer,” she added.

Blueberries have also been praised for their ability to reduce age-related deterioration of brain functions and memory. A research team from England concluded in 2008 that eating blueberries can actually reverse problems with memory and other cognitive functions. Almost ten years earlier, a USDA-sponsored study found that blueberries improved the physical coordination and balance in aging lab rats.

USDA researchers also reported findings of cholesterol-lowering properties in blueberries, based on animal studies they conducted in 2004. In fact, their experimentation showed that blueberries were more effective in lowering cholesterol levels than many widely prescribed cholesterol medications.

A 2004 study from Rutgers University confirmed that blueberries, like cranberries, can be helpful in preventing and healing urinary tract infections. A compound, called epicatechin, keeps infectious bacteria from attaching themselves to the bladder wall.

Besides these astounding health benefits, blueberries are also nutritional powerhouses. They are low in calories – one cup is 82 calories – high in fiber and loaded with vitamins, especially vitamin C. They rank among the top providers of antioxidants, which are essential to nutritional health. Antioxidants like anthocyanin, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E and mineral selenium, and also copper (a highly effective anti-bacterial agent), zinc and iron (which raises hemoglobin and the concentration of oxygen in the blood), among other important micronutrients, boost the immune system and help to prevent infections.

In addition to its rich nutritional qualities, blueberries have the ability to neutralize so-called “free radicals,” which are unstable molecules that can cause many diseases and accelerate the aging process. This is mainly due to the concentrated presence of anthocyanin, the pigment that gives these berries their dark bluish color.

Some believers in the multiple powers of this “superfruit” think of blueberries also as an effective anti-depressant, although, to my knowledge, no conclusive research has yet been done in this regard. But it wouldn’t surprise me at all. I personally eat a bowl of blueberries every morning as part of my breakfast – and I haven’t had a bad day in a very long time. Maybe it’s the berries.

Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book “The Healthy Diner – How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun”®, which is available on her blog, “Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D.” ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TimiGustafsonRD