Raising concerns about how the media portrays the concept of food addiction, a new study questions whether endorsement of this model “may cause people to perceive a lack of control over eating which could promote unhealthy dietary behaviors.” Charlotte Hardman, et al., “‘Food Addiction is Real’: The effects of exposure to this message on self-diagnosed food addiction and eating behavior,” Appetite, April 2015. To explore this hypothesis, researchers with the University of Liverpool and University of Bristol directed 60 study participants to read fake new articles describing food addiction as either a “myth” or “real.” The study then used a disguised taste test to measure consumption of “indulgent” and “non-indulgent” snack foods (potato chips, cookies, breadsticks and grapes), in addition to asking participants if they perceived themselves as food addicts. The results evidently showed that “the proportion of self-diagnosed addicts more than doubled (57%) when participants were exposed to information…
Category Archives Scientific/Technical Items
Canadian researchers have published a study measuring free and conjugated forms of bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan (TCS) in urinary samples obtained from 2,000 pregnant women enrolled in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC). Tye Arbuckle, et al., “Exposure to Free and Conjugated Forms of Bisphenol A and Triclosan among Pregnant Women in the MIREC Cohort,” Environmental Health Perspectives, April 2015. Billed as “the largest national-level data” to address both the free and conjugated forms of these phenols, the results evidently suggest that exposure varies by material age, household income, education, and smoking factors, depending on the type of consumer products used by individuals. In particular, researchers detected conjugated BPA and TCS in 95 and 99 percent of samples, and free-form BPA and TCS in 43 and 80 percent of samples, respectively. “Significant predictors of BPA included material age < 25 vs. ≥ 35 years, current smoking, low vs.…
A study examining the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and liver health among premenopausal women has reportedly found that habitual, moderate intake “may elicit hepatic lipogenesis.” Maya Shimony, et al., “The relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and liver enzymes among healthy premenopausal women: a prospective cohort study,” European Journal of Nutrition, March 2015. Relying on data from a prospective cohort of 259 healthy women, researchers with the National Institutes of Health and George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health measured serum levels of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST), biomarkers used to assess overall liver health. The study claims that for every additional cup of SSB consumed and every 10-gram increase in added sugar and total fructose per day, “log ALT increased by 0.079 U/L (95 % CI 0.022, 0.137), 0.012 U/L (95 % CI 0.002, 0.022), and 0.031 (0.012, 0.050), respectively, and log AST increased by…
Three studies published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism have sought to quantify “the burden of disease and associated costs attributable to EDC [endocrine-disrupting chemical] exposures in the European Union.” Supported by the Endocrine Society, the research responds, in part, to the EU Commission’s request for an impact assessment that addresses the economic implications of restricting, phasing out or authorizing certain EDCs. To this end, the studies discuss the costs associated with EDCs and their alleged link to obesity and diabetes, male reproductive disorders, and neurobehavioral deficits and diseases. Using “the midpoint of each range for probability of causation” by EDCs, a fourth paper estimates the overall median cost of these diseases and disorders at $209 billion annually in Europe. “The primary finding of this manuscript is that there is a substantial probability of very high disease costs across the life span associated with EDC exposure in the EU,” note the authors.…
After conducting a systematic review of studies examining the impact of brand mascots and cartoon media characters on children’s diets, Virginia Tech and Duke University researchers have claimed that “familiar media character branding appears to be a more powerful influence on children’s preferences, choices and intake of less healthy foods compared with fruits or vegetables.” V.I. Kraak and M. Story, “Influence of Food Companies’ Brand Mascots and Entertainment Companies’ Cartoon Media Characters on Children’s Diet and Health: A Systematic Review and Research Needs,” Obesity Reviews, February 2015. The results also apparently indicated that “an unfamiliar cartoon media character may increase children’s appetite, preference for, choice and intake of health of fruits and vegetables compared with no character branding.” Adapted from a paper commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Eating Research program, the review summarized “11 published experimental studies involving children aged 2-11 years” while noting some limitations, including…
A joint study by Consumer Reports and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future claims that 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) exposures “associated with average rates of soft drink consumption pose excess cancer risks exceeding one case per 1,000,0000 exposed individuals, which is a common acceptable risk goal used by U.S. federal regulatory agencies.” Tyler Smith, et al., “Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment,” PLOS One, February 2015. Researchers apparently used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to estimate 4-MEI concentrations in 12 beverages purchased in California and New York City, then assessed exposure levels based on data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, California Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Health Hazards Assessment (OEHHA) and U.S. Census Bureau. In addition to ranking 4-MEI concentrations by brand, product and geographic location, the study authors calculated the lifetime average daily dose and lifetime excess cancer…
Researchers with the Yale School of Public Health have published a study claiming that “middle-school children who consume heavily sweetened energy drinks are 66% more likely to be at risk for hyperactivity and inattention symptoms.” Deborah Schwartz, et al., “Energy Drinks and Youth Self-Reported Hyperactivity/Inattention Symptoms,” Academic Pediatrics, February 2015. The study relied on data from more than 1,500 middle-school students who completed the hyperactivity/inattention subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and self-reported their sugar-sweetened beverage consumption during the preceding 24 hours. In addition to concluding that the risk of hyperactivity/inattention increased with energy drink consumption, the study’s authors apparently found that the risk of hyperactivity/inattention “increased by 14% for each additional sweetened beverage consumed.” As one researcher elaborated in a February 9 press release, “Our results support the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that parents should limit consumption of sweetened beverages and that children should not consume any…
A study has allegedly linked the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formed when “food is cooked at high temperatures or aged for a long time” to increased Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk. Lorena Perrone and William B. Grant, “Observational and Ecological Studies of Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products in National Diets and Alzheimer’s Disease Incidence and Prevalence,” Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, February 2015. According to a February 3 IOS Press news release, AGEs not only “increase the risk of various chronic diseases through several mechanisms including increased inflammation and oxidative stress,” but can bind to a receptor that “transports beta amyloid proteins across the blood-brain barrier and contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.” Using a Mount Sinai School of Medicine study and dietary data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to estimate the AGE content of national diets, the study’s authors evidently reported that “reduced dietary AGE significantly correlates with reduced…
Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have published a study claiming that many infant and toddler foods sold in the United States contain too much sodium or sugar. Mary Cogswell, et al., “Sodium and Sugar in Complementary Infant and Toddler Foods Sold in the United States,” Pediatrics, March 2015. Relying on a database of 1,074 infant and toddler foods and drinks that sourced nutrient information from a commercial database, manufacturer websites and major grocery stores, the study reported that “the majority of toddler cereal bars/breakfast pastries, fruit, and infant/toddler snacks, desserts, and juices contained ≥1 added sugar,” that is, at least one added sugar on the ingredient list. In addition, the study’s authors noted that 41 of 79 infant mixed grains and fruits contained ≥1 added sugar, while 35 of these products derived more than 35 percent of their calories from sugar. They also concluded that…
A study allegedly linking daily sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption to earlier menarche has raised concerns about the long-term implications for breast cancer risk. J.L. Carwile, et al., “Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and age at menarche in a prospective study of US girls,” Human Reproduction, January 2015. Relying on dietary questionnaires completed by 5,583 girls ages 9 to 14 before their first menses, researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital reported “more frequent SSB consumption predicted a higher rate of reaching menarche” during five years of follow-up. After controlling for birth weight, maternal age at menarche, physical activity, and other factors, the study claims that girls who consumed more than 1.5 servings of sugar-sweetened soda, non-carbonated fruit drinks or iced tea per day (i) were 26 percent “more likely to reach menarche in the next month relative to girls who reported consuming [less than] 2 servings of…
