Weight Loss Tips and Articles

Eating together establishes good habits later in life, researchers at the University of Minnesota say.  In the study, more than 1,500 participants were surveyed once during high school, then again when they were 20 years old.  Participants were asked questions about how often they ate with their families, how much they liked sitting down to dinner with family and friends, if they had a tendency to eat and run, and how often they ate breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The researchers say that those who ate meals with families as adolescents were more likely to eat fruit, dark green and orange vegetables and drank fewer soft drinks as young adults.  The frequency of family meals during adolescence also predicted eating meals more frequently as adults.  Those who experienced more family meals were more likely to have higher intakes of key nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and the like.  

The researchers say the results show that structured meal times with family are associated with improved diet quality for young adults.  Families should be encouraged to share meals together as often as is practically possible, they say.

The results were originally published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Researchers at Rutgers University have found drinking soda which contains high-fructose corn syrup could contribute to the development of diabetes, especially in children.

Scientists tested beverages containing the syrup and found high levels of reactive compounds that previous studies have found have the potential to trigger cell and tissue damage which can cause diabetes.

“People consume too much high-fructose corn syrup in this country,” lead researcher Chi-Tang Ho, professor of food science at Rutgers University, said.  “It’s in way too many food and drink products, and there’s growing evidence that it’s bad for you.”

The findings were first reported at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

His hesitance to talk about the cost of care or a patient's bill is just the way he was trained, Dr. Gibson said. "I do have to talk about money more. I personally don't like to be a part of it, but at times I have to be a part of it."

The discussion about money is happening more often, in part because some patients now have high-deductible health plans paired with health spending or flexible spending accounts -- also known as consumer-directed health plans.

Advocates of such plans say that giving patients first-dollar coverage will get them more involved in their health care, and more involved in discussing the costs. But analysts say those plans are growing more slowly than expected because of a perceived taboo about patients and doctors discussing the cost of care.

"There's no question that there will be certain individuals who just don't feel comfortable having this discussion related to their financial situation, period," said Jacque Sokolov, MD, chair and senior partner at health care consulting firm SSB Solutions.

It appears many patients and physicians are having a difficult time turning health care into a consumer-retailer discussion.

"I'm only concerned about their medical problem," Dr. Gibson said. "I don't like that term, 'consumer,' even though I guess there's some truth to it. I've always considered them my patients, not consumers."