Good Healthy Advice

Hunter schools go bananas in war on obesity

Sourced: Cancer Council

Fresh bananas and apples have toppled chocolate and doughnuts from the traditional school fundraising drive as research reveals the fatty snacks leave a sour taste in parents’ mouths.

A leading parent group survey shows eight out of ten* parents disagree with unhealthy fundraisers, as more than 20 Hunter primary schools introduce fruit and vegetable alternatives in a move against obesity.

Hunter families have devoured the nutritious deal, having bought about 800 bargain priced boxes – or about 50,000 pieces of fruit and vegetables - since Cancer Council NSW’s Fruit n Veg Fundraiser launched in August.

Tammy Wilson, Nutrition Project Officer at Cancer Council NSW said the program had been a resounding success at participating schools, which have jointly raised more than $4,000 for resources and equipment - a figure set to reach about $7000 by the years end.

Dupe your kids with 'bite-sized' snacks

Source: AAP

Children are more likely to eat food they don't like if it's "bite-sized," research shows.

Tests have been carried out on 242 Australian children, aged 7 to 12, to find out their eating preference based on shape, flavour and repeated eating.

Biscuits were offered in varying sizes, also ranging from sweet to sour, in an experiment that ran over three weeks.

Nutritionist Dr Gie Liem said it showed children were more likely to turn-off larger "bar-shaped" foods, and shape could even overrule taste.

Stopping That Rebound In Weight

Source: Aetna Intelihealth

Ask adults if they're trying to lose weight, and three out of four say "yes," polls show. Weight loss is a major industry, from support programs to diet books to special foods. Yet more than 60 percent of Americans are overweight, and the numbers are getting higher.

With all this dieting, why are so many people still unsuccessful at controlling their weight? One reason is that although many people manage to lose weight, they usually don't keep it off.

Even in medically supervised weight-loss programs, people often regain, says Eva Obarzanek, a nutritionist for the U.S. government's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and project officer of a new study on maintaining weight loss.

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• Incorporating your favourite/missed foods back into your diet
• Re–introducing a variety of foods from all food groups back into your diet
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• Helping create an enjoyable and personalised meal plan
• Educating you on the nutritional requirements your body needs e.g. your individual carbohydrate, protein, fat and dairy requirements.