Calorie Counts on Menus Have Small but Promising Effects
HBNS STORY | May 9, 2013
Menu labeling has made more people aware of how many calories are in restaurant meals and has some people reducing their intake, according to new research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Black Students Drink More Soda When Available at School
HBNS STORY | May 9, 2013
The availability of sugar-sweetened or diet soda in schools does not appear to be related to students’ overall consumption, except for African-American students, who drink more soda when it’s available at school, finds a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Teens Overeat at Subway, Too
HBNS STORY | May 7, 2013
Adolescents are just as likely to consume too many calories at Subway as at McDonald’s, a new study in Journal of Adolescent Health finds, despite the fact that they think Subway offers healthier food.

Prebiotics: Do Supplements In Baby Formula Help Prevent Allergies?
HBNS STORY | March 28, 2013
Prebiotic supplements in infant formula may help to prevent eczema, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library.

School Grades Go Down When Health Risks Go Up
HBNS STORY | March 26, 2013
Academic performance is linked to risky health behaviors in children and teens, reports a new review in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Mandating Fruits & Vegetables in School Meals Makes a Difference
HBNS STORY | March 12, 2013
State laws that require minimum levels of fruits and vegetables in school meals may give a small boost to the amount of these foods in adolescents' diets, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Fruit and Vegetable Advertising Linked to More Consumption
HBNS STORY | September 4, 2012
The key to getting people to eat more fruits and vegetables may be advertising, finds a new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

TV Watching Linked to Eating Unhealthy Food
HBNS STORY | July 10, 2012
Adults and children who watch more television have less healthy diets, finds a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. For every age and gender studied, people who watched no more than an hour of TV a day reported healthier diets compared to those who watched four hours or more.

Banning the Big Gulp: Bold Initiative or Bad Idea?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 14, 2012 | Inside Health Care
"Who should be responsible for the health of Americans?" "What's the best way to break society's bad habits?" Questions like these poured in following New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's recent proposal to ban sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces.

Logging On to Lose Weight May Be a Tough Sell for Employers
HBNS STORY | June 5, 2012
A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examined whether a convenient web support program could help employees maintain weight loss after an intensive kick-off. It turns out that a challenge may be just getting them to log on.

Electronic Devices with Reminders Make Sticking to Diets Easier
HBNS STORY | June 5, 2012
There’s some good news for those trying to lose weight with the help of new apps on their mobile devices. They may actually work, says a new research study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Diabetes: 'Valuable Truths about Food and Consequences'
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 13, 2012 | Conversation Continues
From celebrity chefs, to health news journalists, to the National Institutes of Health ' people are talking about the increasing rate of diabetes, what causes it, and what to do about it.

A New Year and a New Big Picture Look at Weight Loss?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | January 9, 2012 | Inside Health Care
With New Years resolutions still fresh, weight loss is all over the news, and many Americans' minds are firmly resolved to lose weight. However, their bodies and fast food restaurants may be equally determined that they fail.

Family Support Motivates Mexican-Americans to Adopt Healthy Habits
HBNS STORY | January 5, 2012
Encouragement from family members helps motivate Mexican-American adults to eat more fruits and vegetables and to engage in regular exercise, according to a new study in the current issue of American Journal of Health Promotion.

Feelings of Depression and Binge Eating Go Hand in Hand in Teen Girls
HBNS STORY | December 13, 2011
Teenage girls who feel depressed are twice as likely to start binge eating as other girls are, according to a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health. The reverse is also true: Girls who engage in regular binge eating face double the normal risk of depressive symptoms.

Guest Blog: On Alcohol and Breast Cancer, Guilt, Correlations, Fun, Moderation, Doctors' Habits, Advice and Herbal Tea
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 11, 2011 | Elaine Schattner
Few breast cancer news items irk some women I know more than those linking alcohol con'­sumption to the disease.

Sweetener Found In Gum May Prevent Ear Infections In Children
HBNS STORY | November 9, 2011
There is "fair evidence" to support the use of xylitol, a natural sweetener used in gums and mints, to prevent inner ear infections in healthy children, a new evidence review finds.

E-Learning Programs May Do Little to Change Eating Habits
HBNS STORY | October 26, 2011
With more people turning to the Internet and smart phones to help them with everything from exercising to quitting smoking, it appears applications, or “apps” as they are popularly known, intended to change eating habits may not make much of a difference, according to a new review.

Dieting Beats Exercise for Diabetes Prevention, Combination Is Best
HBNS STORY | August 30, 2011
A new study suggests that to prevent diabetes in postmenopausal women, dietary weight loss alone is effective while exercise alone is not effective, and both together are best of all.

Modified Fat Diet Key to Lowering Heart Disease Risk
HBNS STORY | July 12, 2011
A new evidence review finds that a modified fat diet — rather than a low fat diet — might be the real key to reducing one’s risk of heart disease.

Losing Weight, Keeping It Off Might Require Distinct Skill Sets
HBNS STORY | July 5, 2011
Practices that help people lose weight and practices that help them keep it off do not overlap much.

Obese Mexican-Americans Lack Diet, Exercise Advice From Doctors
HBNS STORY | June 30, 2011
Only half of obese Mexican-American adults receive diet and exercise advice from their physicians, although obesity is on the rise for this group.

Patient-Centered Care: From Exam Room to Dinner Table
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | May 11, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
Only one in 10 respondents to a national survey could estimate how many calories they should consume in a day. Seventy-nine percent make few or no attempts to pay attention to the balance between the calories they consume and expend in a day.These and other piquant findings from the online 2011 Food and Health Survey fielded by the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) struck home last week as I smacked up against my own ignorance about a healthy diet and the difficulty of changing lifelong eating habits.

Pre-Teens Make Their Own Decisions on Diet, Exercise and Weight-loss
HBNS STORY | February 24, 2011
Eleven-year olds definitely have their own opinions about diet, exercise and weight-loss; and it is mostly their opinions — not those of their parents — that affect their lifestyle changes.

School Vending Machine Choices Affect Overall Diet for Children
HBNS STORY | November 16, 2010
Vending machines in public schools influence the diets of school children and can affect overall dietary intake and health, depending on what foods they contain.

Dorms With Dining Halls Might Add to Freshman Weight Gain
HBNS STORY | August 3, 2010

Watched, Loved and Now Desired by Millions
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 20, 2010 | Dorothy Jeffress
If popular culture provides clues to social trends then all signs point to an American public captivated by red velvet, carrot, lemon, and raspberry. Fabric, fruits and vegetables? No cakes whether of the cup variety or fancy full-size versions.

Corner Shops Could Bring Healthier Food to Inner Cities
HBNS STORY | April 27, 2010

Tainted Produce More Likely for Low-Income Shoppers
HBNS STORY | April 6, 2010

Teen Girls Look to Peers to Gauge Weight Goals
HBNS STORY | March 15, 2010

Drinking 100-Percent Juice Might Not Lead to Teen Overweight
HBNS STORY | February 26, 2010

Women With Partner, Baby Gain More Weight Than Single Women
HBNS STORY | January 5, 2010