June 2005 Newsletter from Valley: Healthy Bytes...

Schools Urged to Can Sugary Soft Drinks   Researchers are urging U.S. schools to get healthy beverages to quench students' thirst rather making contracts with soft drink makers.   In a commentary in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers from Ohio State University, the University of Vermont and University of California-San Diego said they reviewed a host of earlier studies about the effects of soft drinks on childhood obesity.    Lead author Robert Murray of Ohio State said the typical teen consumes two 12-ounce cans of soft drinks every day. Cutting out just eight ounces of the sweetened beverages "would prevent excessive weight gain in most Americans."    While the researchers said soft drinks are not the only factor affecting youthful obesity, they urged schools to focus on programs that, among other things, provide students with healthier beverage choices. Copyright 2005 - Article City All rights reserved   Big Backpacks Painful Children who lug heavy backpacks can later develop more serious physical problems, such as chronic back pain and scoliosis, U.S. researchers reported. The study at Northeastern University found about 70 percent of middle school students who were observed were carrying around backpacks that were harmful to their growing bodies. Backpacks should weigh no more than 15 percent of a child's body weight.   Kids with backpacks often use them incorrectly and add to their physical detriment. Big bags can have a lasting physical impact on developing skeletal systems and posture. Several recommendations to parents include buying smaller backpacks, reminding children of the value of lockers to store books, and encouraging them to clear their bags of unnecessary clutter. Skip TV, Kids Lose Weight   Watching more than two hours of television a day increases adolescents' chances of being overweight, Indiana University researchers report.   "The effect of TV is independent of eating and exercise habits," says Millicent Fleming-Moran, associate professor of applied health science. "We found that the TV watching alone added a 50 percent risk of being overweight for high school students." Overweight youngsters have an 80 percent higher risk of continued obesity problems in adulthood, Fleming-Moran says.   Copyright 2005 eContent Matters All rights reserved     Trampoline Injuries Spike   A Rhode Island Hospital study indicates yearly backyard trampoline injuries have nearly doubled during the past 10 years.   The study, presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Washington, reviewed reported trampoline injuries to children from a sample of emergency departments across the US.   The authors found an average of nearly 75,000 children sought emergency care for trampoline injuries during 2001, and a similar number was reported for 2002. Those numbers represent a significant increase from the early to mid 1990s, when an average 41,600 such injuries were reported each year. About 91 % of injuries occurred at home.   "Parents so far have not gotten the message that trampolines should not be used in the home environment," said James Linakis, a pediatric emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital's Hasbro Children's Hospital.   Linakis, also an associate professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at Brown Medical School, said trampolines should be used in very structured, well-monitored environments, with proper supervision. "Frankly," he added, "that supervision probably doesn't and can't happen at home."   Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved

Doctors of Chiropractic For years, many people believed that chiropractors dealt only with back and neck pain. While it's true that adjusting the spine is a primary area of expertise, it's certainly not the only reason to visit a chiropractor. In fact, for a growing number of people, their primary "doctor" is a doctor of chiropractic. A recent survey of U.S. chiropractors revealed that more than 80 percent reported providing information to their patients regarding exercise, diet, stress reduction and injury prevention, and obtaining information on physical activity, stress, dietary habits, medication use, and occupational hazards. More than 50 percent of those surveyed said they believed in providing patients with information on tobacco risks/cessation, skin cancer prevention, substance abuse and cessation options, and breastfeeding and diet during pregnancy. Other information some chiropractors agreed they should obtain from patients related to depression/anxiety, alcohol abuse/dependence, domestic violence, seat belt use, and helmet use.   In an era of increasing patient dissatisfaction with traditional medical care, doctors of chiropractic are dedicated to preventing health problems and maximizing the health of every patient in undeniable, lasting ways. ChiroWeb.com Dad Plays Big Part in Child's School Success In some ways, a child's success in school can be measured by the dad's involvement, research suggests. "When fathers are involved in their children's education in a positive way ... the children enjoy school more, have a lower drop-out and expulsion rate, get better grades and participate more in extracurricular activities," says Robin Palkovitz, professor of individual and family studies at the University of Delaware. A survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, for example, shows when fathers participate in three or more events at school, from attending a conference to chaperoning a field trip, their children fare better than those whose fathers do not participate, Palkovitz says. Copyright 2005 - ARA Content All rights reserved     Love Affects Brain,  Like Thirst and Hunger Romantic love affects people's brains much the same as hunger, thirst and cravings for drugs, US researchers say. "When you're in the throes of this romantic love it's overwhelming, you're out of control, you're irrational," researcher Helen Fisher of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ told the New York Times. "This drive for romantic love can be stronger than the will to live," Fisher said. She and other researchers, reporting in The Journal of Neurophysiology, used functional magnetic resonance imaging to generate 2,500 brain scans of 17 recently in-love college students. They measured neural responses to pictures of each student's love interest and an acquaintance. People in love had greater activity in the brain area that makes or receives dopamine, which increases when people desire or wish for a reward. Copyright 2005 - UPI All rights reserved