Community Magazine March 2009

104 community magazine sKinnymilK Teenagers who eat three servings of dairy foods every day had less body fat and lower body mass indexes (BMI) than those who consumed less dairy, according to researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine. Consuming low-fat and fat-free dairy products as part of a healthy diet may protect against excess body fat in adolescents. The study examined over 10,000 U.S. children and adolescents, and was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) encourages children age 9 and older to consume three servings of low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese or yogurt each day. Dairy foods supply three essential nutrients – calcium, potassium and magnesium. HiGHrates of PsycHiatricdisorders in youtH Nearly half of 19 to 25 year-olds suffer from at least one psychi- atric disorder, according to new research. The government-funded survey of more than 5,000 young adults was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The researchers noted that some of these disorders, such as phobias, are relatively mild. The National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions conducted at Columbia University found more alcohol-related disorders among college students, while their non-college peers were more likely to have a drug use disorder. Emotional problems were more than twice as common among students who had recently endured a major loss – typically a romantic breakup – than among those who had not. Parents should talk to their kids about the pressures of school and work, and help them find ways to relieve stress. larGest Kid’s HealtHstudy underWay In an effort to discover the effects of prenatal and childhood factors, includ- ing diet and exposure to chemicals, on children, researchers have started the largest study of American children ever conducted. 100,000 women in North Carolina and New York are being recruited to take part in research that will track their children from conception to age 21. The National Children’s Study will help establish which genetic and environmen- tal factors are involved in autism, asthma, birth defects and other child disorders. Previous research hasn’t included enough children to prove why some are more at risk than others, or to determine which environmental exposures may be involved in diseases, especially among those who are genetically vulnerable. rulinGon linKBetWeen vaccines, autism A special federal court has ruled that vaccines are not to blame for autism in the cases of three children brought before the court. The families had argued that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shot, which contained the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, was responsible for their children’s autism and other neurologi- cal problems. The cases had been at the center of a battle over a possible causal link between vaccines and autism, with both sides hoping that a win would settle the controversy. Questions about a connection began in 1998 with the publishing of a research paper in the British journal Lancet that linked developmental delays and MMR vaccinations. Since then, 10 of the 13 authors have retracted their statements, but the lead author has not. The court’s ruling will likely hinder the efforts of families seeking compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund. HealtHy Kids taKinGunnecessary vitamins About one-third of children and teens take vita- mins, but most of them are healthy, active kids who probably don’t need them. Those who could bene- fit the most from vitamins — kids in poor health and with poor eating habits — were the least likely to take them. Research shows a decline in vitamin use from the 1970s, when roughly half of all American children took vitamins. The researchers at the University of California-Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento say that taking daily multivitamins in the dose recom- mended on the label is probably harmless, but they often aren’t needed for healthy children with a varied diet. Almost $2 billion is spent on vitamins for kids annually. Some parents and teens also mistakenly think that taking a daily vitamin will make up for a bad diet. To • junior's • Health