Rudd Sound Bites

An Unwelcome Weight Loss

by Becca Krukowski

An inmate in Bentonville, Arkansas has lost more than 100 pounds in eight months, while awaiting trial for murder. He reportedly weighed 413 pounds when he was arrested. That’s a dramatic weight loss and, I imagine, would be considered a welcome health improvement for many people; however, this individual is suing the county for insufficient quantity of food served in the jail. Apparently, the meals at the jail provide the inmates with about 3,000 calories per day, which is about 1,000 calories more than the USDA recommends for average daily intake. The plaintiff is also asking for hot meals, rather than the cold meals that the jail has served for years.

Portion Sizes: Maybe the Metric System Would Help?

by Becca Krukowski

A friend of mine returned from a business trip recently with a food-related nugget that he thought would horrify me. While out of town, he went with some of his colleagues to a local favorite restaurant known for their steak dinners. The menu states that the steaks are served “family-style” and depending on the cut, come in 2-6 pound servings. The steaks are all priced “per pound” and, according to my friend, the menu helpfully recommended one pound per person (see picture), and so all of these men complied and ordered a pound of steak. Nonetheless, my friend was surprised to see hunks of meat arrive at the table. He had not realized that a pound was equivalent to 13 ounces (in fact, I told him, a pound actually contains 16 ounces).

Food Costs and Fuel Costs

by Becca Krukowski

For the past few years, rising fuel costs have consistently been a top story.  Recently, it seems there has been an increasing frequency of consumer soundbites about how the fuel costs have finally gotten to a point that people are cutting back on how often or how far they drive. At the same time, stories about food costs have become more popular in the mainstream media, so it is not surprising that people are starting to wonder about the impact of rising food costs. Will people react similarly to increasing food costs as they appear to have with fuel costs? Will they eat less and/or eat less often? Could higher food prices be the magic pill that will solve the world’s obesity problem and conditions related to overnutrition?

Fido is Feeling Guilty?

by Becca Krukowski

I would have never expected a trip to the pet supply store to be so thought-provoking.  While the sheer variety of dog food products (including products with supplements like Omega-3s) stunned me, I was most surprised by the “diet” dog foods.  I have seen research indicating that our dogs are also becoming more obese, but I didn’t realize that the dog food industry was developing diet food products.

A Sign of the Times

by Becca Krukowski

It was discussed in the school yard, at the water cooler and at cocktail parties.  It was the toy that compelled people to line up outside big box stores for hours in the wee hours of the morning.  It is, if you haven’t heard, the Wii.  You can play sports (tennis, boxing, baseball, golf, and bowling) with this interactive video game system.  Stress the word “active”.  I have never seen my younger brother peel off his sweatshirt while playing his other video games.

Chained to your desk?

by Becca Krukowski

Only 3,852 steps out of my recommended 10,000, and it is already 4:41 PM.  I never realized just how sedentary “desk jobs” really are.  Last year I was in a patient care-based position where I was forever running around the clinic to greet patients, consulting with physicians, teaching classes and so on. And now, all of a sudden, in a research position, most of what I need to be doing is sitting in front of my computer to type or read.  Granted, there are occasional meetings and the periodic trip to procure coffee, but it definitely doesn’t add up to many steps.

Have It Your Way…or Maybe Not

by Becca Krukowski

In traveling home from a wedding recently, I found myself hungry in the Atlanta airport.  After surveying the limited healthy and vegetarian choices, I decided upon the veggie burger at Burger King.  I was fascinated by the response when I tried to place my order:

“Huh?”

What is American food?

by Becca Krukoswki

If you asked someone to describe American food, what do you think that he would say? Perhaps “hamburger,” “hotdog,” “barbecued pork” (or for those of us in the South, that’s just barbecue), “meatloaf,” or maybe just a blank look?  Try this experiment with your friends and family; the responses can be fascinating.

Adults Just Wanna Have Fun

by Becca Krukowski

A couple of months ago I worked with a patient who expressed to me his frustration about physical activity: as a retired football player, he was used to physical activity being a “game” or “fun”.  As an older adult, he didn’t think it was in his best interest to resume playing football in his attempt to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but he was bored by the traditional exercise activities (such as walking on a treadmill at a gym).  At the time, I don’t think that I fully understood his point, as I actually enjoy going to the gym for exercise.

The No Thank You Bite

by Becca Krukowski

A colleague was telling me about a research participant who is struggling with making healthy changes with her diet because she doesn’t like raw vegetables.  As a point of discussion, my colleague responded with “when is the last time that you tried raw vegetables?” In the parenting literature, there is extensive discussion about how kids require repeated exposure to new foods to develop an affinity for them.  I like the idea of the “no thank you” bite, a philosophy by which children are required to take just one bite of a new food that they think they will dislike.

"Do As I Do?"

by Becca Krukowski

During a recent session at the gym, I noticed that Self magazine was promoting a blog titled “Eat Like Me.”  I was intrigued, so I decided to check it out.  In this blog, a registered dietitian in Boston describes all of her meals and usually includes a picture of each meal as well as details about servings of various food groups.  In addition, she sometimes includes recipes, so that the reader can replicate her meals.  I don’t know how many people follow her blog, but it’s an interesting concept. Readers are able to see “first-hand” the challenges of someone who is trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and they are able to see the portion sizes that she is consuming. They see her eat healthy food, and they see her eat dessert.  And the blogger is of normal weight. So, it’s a “do as I do” philosophy, rather than “do as I say”.

Give Peas A Chance

by Becca Krukowski

If you ask an obesity researcher about the quality of school cafeteria food, you may hear about the proliferation of unhealthy a la carte snacks, vending machines, and low quality cafeteria foods. What if you ask kids? As a recent news story reported, the kids at a Las Vegas elementary school are also concerned about the quality of the food, specifically, in this case, the reheated frozen green beans.  I remember those overcooked, slimy green tubes from my school cafeteria days.  Yuck! It’s no wonder that kids are attracted to the a la carte items and often repulsed by vegetables.

Over the River and Through the Woods

by Becca Krukowski

Amid controversy, Fisher-Price will soon debut a new toy for young children: a stationary bike that allows children to pedal their way through virtual mountains, fields, and car races using television software. As childhood obesity is a major problem around the world, one might expect that this “active” toy would be met with enthusiasm. Not so, according to a recent article in England’s Daily Mail. Some critics say the new toy may discourage parents from taking their children to play outside, while encouraging more television viewing. 

A Step in the Right Direction

by Becca Krukowski

Given the growing problem of childhood obesity, food companies have been openly criticized for marketing unhealthy foods to children. Earlier this month, Kellogg Company announced a step in the right direction by cutting back on marketing unhealthy foods to children around the world.  The “Kellogg Global Nutrient Criteria,” based on expert advice and the available research, defines healthy foods as: each serving containing fewer than 200 calories, less than 2 g of saturated fat, no trans-fats, fewer than 230 mg of sodium, and less than 12 g of sugar.  By 2008, all Kellogg’s products that do not meet these nutrition criteria will be reformulated to meet the guidelines, or else will no longer be marketed to children under 12. In addition, Kellogg’s will no longer use “licensed characters” to market foods that do not meet the criteria.

Star Power

by Becca Krukowski

Last month, Senator Tom Harkin spoke out against Dreamworks allowing the use of the Shrek character to market a vast array of unhealthy foods, including Cheetos, PopTarts, Skittles, M&M's, Frosted Flakes, Snickers, Fruit Loops, Cheez-Its, and Keebler Cookies. Just a few days later, the World Cancer Research Fund through the Department of Health launched a website called “The Great Grub Club,” which uses cartoon characters to encourage children to eat healthier foods and have a more active lifestyle.  While this is a great effort to try to appeal to children, I am not sure that Snack the dog, Professor Foodsmart, and the rest of the Great Grub Club Gang will do the trick. Kids get excited about characters that they know from their favorite television shows and movies—are they going to get excited about these characters developed by the Department of Health? Who knows? I never would have guessed that a talking sponge who lives in an underwater city called “Bikini Bottom” would have taken off in the way that it has. 

Bravo, Starbucks!

by Becca Krukowski

According to a press release from Starbucks last week, the company is switching from whole milk to reduced fat (2%) milk in all of their espresso-based drinks.  Thus, 2% milk will be the new standard, and if you oppose this, you will have to request that your drink be made with whole milk. This is the type of change that makes it easier for people to reduce their caloric intake because it establishes a healthy “default”.  What a great step in the right direction!

Disband the “Clean Plate Club”?

by Becca Krukowski

I was talking with a group of patients in a weight control program last week about paying attention to hunger/satiety cues, and a middle-aged patient quipped, “So, does that mean that I have to resign from the Clean Plate Club?” She went on to talk about how she was always required to clean her plate as a child, and she has continued the habit into adulthood. However, she assumed parents of younger generations did not subscribe to the “Clean Plate Club” philosophy.  While my parents did not require us to clean our plate (although I did have to try those frog legs), I have a clear recollection of my aunt and uncle encouraging us to be members of the Club.  (And thinking about stuffing my detested scallops in an envelope and sending them to Somalia.) With the current rates of obesity, are parents still having their children “clean” their plates?

Work too much, eat too much

by Becca Krukowski

There has been a huge push to change the school environment to reduce or prevent obesity in children.  What about the equivalent for adults? Why are so few changes being made in workplaces? Obesity has been linked with stress and sleep deprivation— so it makes sense to reduce the amount of time we spend at work, which in 2005 averaged 42.9 hours per week, according to the Department of Labor. The United Nations' International Labor Organization reports that employees in the United States work the most number of hours annually of any industrialized nation—100 more hours than the Japanese and 500 hours more than the Germans.

School vs. home

by Becca Krukowski

A recent study found that young children appear to gain more weight over the summer than during the school year.  In the discussion of the article in The Boston Globe, the study’s findings are pitted against the idea that schools are responsible for childhood obesity.  Although the mechanisms for weight gain in the summer were not examined in this recent study, it appears that now the finger is being pointed at parents.  As reported in The Boston Globe article, “The nation’s schools—under fire for unhealthy school lunches, well-stocked vending machines, and physical activity cuts—may actually do a better job than parents in keeping children fit and trim.”

Girl Scout's Honor

by Becca Krukowski

It’s Girl Scout cookie time. Everyone has an old favorite. Some people can’t do without Thin Mints, others are partial to Tagalongs or Samoas. But this year, those tried-and-true varieties of Girl Scout cookies are a bit different than in years past.  All types of Girl Scout cookies are nearly trans-fat free—notice that I said nearly trans-fat free? In a recent article, Girl Scout representatives were clear to point out that the new formulation of cookies are not entirely trans-fat free; however, they do meet the FDA requirement of less than half a gram of trans fats per serving.  They also noted that the reformulated cookies are not health food—most varieties are still high in sugar and saturated fat, so moderation is important.

BMI Report Cards Redux

by Becca Krukowski

What a move in his first month in office! Arkansas’ new governor, Mike Beebe, recently announced his intention to measure children’s BMI (body mass index) less often and to make it easier for parents to opt out on their children’s BMI testing.  In an article from CNN he was quoted as saying “there are a lot of things schools should be doing, but there are a lot of things parents should be doing and one of them is trying to make sure their kids stay healthy."  In essence, he seems to be saying that parents should be solely responsible for their children’s health.  Yes, parents do bear some of the responsibility, but this is a public health issue, with clear implications for our health care system and our society.  How do you mandate that parents care about their children’s health? And even if parents care, they may not have sufficient knowledge, time, or resources to properly protect their children’s health. They need help.  Help can come from many sources—including the schools, the pediatricians, and the community in general.

The Evolution of the Vending Machine?

by Becca Krukowski

There’s a new sign posted on our vending machine at work—well, I don’t know if it is “new”, given how rarely I examine the vending machine. It is a sign produced by the vending machine supplier that says “Healthy options from [the supplier]. Selections in the spots designated by this symptom [a red heart] are lower in carbs, calories, fat content, and many are made with natural ingredients”. There are four items that have a red heart by them—the Baked Lays (the barbecue flavor, but not the original flavor), the Three Musketeers Bar, the gummy fruit snacks, and the bright orange peanut butter crackers. I am not sure what nutrients one could potentially glean from these foods.

The Children's Menu

by Becca Krukowski

A recent article in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine indicated that adults who live in households with kids eat about two more grams of fat per day than adults who don’t live with kids.  Specifically, the authors found that these adults ate more pizza, salty snacks, cheese, beef, bacon/sausage/processed meats, peanuts, ice cream, cakes, and cookies. The authors’ practical analogy was that this is akin to consuming as much saturated fat each week as you would find in an individual-size pizza.