Community Magazine January 2009

86 Community magazine COCA-COLA PLUS DOESN’T ADD UP Don’t replace that glass of vitamin fortified milk with Coca-Cola Plus just yet. While Coke claims its new product to be “a good source of with vitamins B3, B6, and B12, and the miner- als zinc and magnesium” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent the company a letter last month saying it does not consider it appropri- ate to fortify snacks foods such as soda. Coke’s label does not comply with regulations governing nutrient content claims, according to the FDA let- ter. Additionally, some nutrients defining the ‘plus’ aspect of the beverage are missing from the product label. Coca-Cola representatives defend the product saying that the FDA’s complaint has nothing to do with health or safety concerns. PREGNANCYWEIGHT GAIN DEPENDS ON SELF-PERCEPTION Women with a misperception of their body weight were more likely to gain extra pounds during their pregnancy, according to a study by BioMed Centeral (BMC). After interviewing 1500 women, the BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Journal reported the highest percentage of weight gain among obese women who viewed their weight as normal. Researchers specu- late that this might be due to the high prevalence of obesity in the US, which may influence obesewomen to believe they are normal weight. Women of normal weight should gain 25-35 pounds over the course of the pregnancy, while over- weight women should gain 15-25 pounds. WEIGHT INCREASES CAR INJURY RISK INKIDS Children who are overweight face twice the risk of injury to their extremities in a car crash than normal-weight children do, according to research published in the Journal Injury Prevention. One in three U.S. children are either overweight or obese according to 2006 figures cited by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 12 percent of children between 2 and 5 are obese, while around 17 percent of those between the ages of 6 and 19 are obese. The high injury rate could relate to the diminishment of bone strength relative to body weight among obese and over- weight kids. A hallmark of poor, high-calorie diets are inadequate consumption of calcium and/or vitamin D, which are both key to the development of strong bones. CARS AND FALLS STILLMOST HAZARDOUS TO KIDS Some 55 million children and teens were treated at emergency departments for injuries from 2001 to 2006. Analyzing the data from those visits, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that falls caused the majority of injuries, while most deaths involved motor vehicles, either as an occupant, pedestrian or cyclist. Falls were associated with more than half of injuries involving children younger than 1, and two-thirds of injury deaths in this group were due to suffocation. Drowning was the leading cause of injury death for those aged 1 to 4. For children aged 5 to 19, the majority of fatal injury victims were occupants in a motor vehicle crash. About 20 children die every day from a preventable injury – more than from all diseases combined. About half of these deaths could be prevented by the use of car seats, covering water in areas where children play, and barriers near road construction. EPA AND FDA FEUDINGOVER FISH Is fish good for children and mothers to be? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been circulating a draft report within the government that argues the health benefits of eating fish outweigh the potential ill effects of mercury. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains that the longstanding recommendations limiting con- sumption of fish among women and kids, should remain intact. Mercury occurs naturally and is also released in the environment through pollution. Very high levels in the bloodstream can damage the nervous system of developing fetuses and young children, causing learning disabilities and other problems. Fish and shellfish are the biggest sources of human exposure to mer- cury. Fetuses and young children are the most susceptible to harm. About 8 percent of U.S. women of childbearing age have enough mer- cury in their blood to be at risk of having babies with subtle learning disabilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. Because of such concerns, the FDA and EPA have recommended that women of child-bearing age and young children not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish, which contain high levels of mercury. The agencies also advised that they eat no more than two meals a week of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury, a total of 12 ounces. And since “white” albacore tuna has more mercury than chunk light tuna, they recommended no more than six ounces a week. To • junior's • Health