Health of Americans about the same as last year

An annual report of American health statistics finds that the nation as a whole is at about the same level of health it was four years ago, but that Vermont is the healthiest state and Louisiana ranks at the bottom. The statistics, from United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention look at things like obesity rates, access to health insurance, binge drinking, pollution, disease rates and immunizations. One in five people in Louisiana doesn’t have health insurance and one third of people there are obese. Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Utah were the other healthiest states, while Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nevada and Georgia joined Louisiana at the bottom.

Australians eating too much salt

More than 95 percent of the sausages and beef burgers sold at markets in Australia have higher than acceptable levels of salt, according to a report presented at the Nutrition Society of Australia, and most Australians get way too much sodium daily. A study in children found that boys get an average of nine grams a day of salt, while girls get closer to the recommended amount, which is six grams. Adults likely come in well over the limit as well. Experts say 75 percent of the sodium in Australians’ diets comes from prepared foods, while 10 percent comes from natural salt in food and 15 percent is added in cooking or at the table.

Fast food enjoyed for ease and speed

Have you ever wondered why people eat so much fast food? In 2005 and 2006 researchers asked 600 adults and teens that question, and found the most popular reasons for eating fast food were because it’s fast and easy to get to. The taste came in a distant third, with 69 percent of respondents saying taste was an issue. Other reasons in order of importance included that fast food is inexpensive, being too busy to cook, using it as a treat for yourself, not wanting to cook and eating it because friends and family like it or as a way to socialize. Just 20 percent said they ate fast food because of healthy options, and the least-cited reason at 11 percent was because the foods are fun.

Exercise boosts weight loss in gastric bypass patients

Here’s one they shouldn’t have had to do a study about, but researchers writing in the journal Obesity say that people who start exercising after gastric bypass surgery lose more weight in the year after their surgery than those who stay sedentary. Researchers at the Brown Alpert Medical School and Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, looked at 199 patients and found that those who got at least 200 minutes of exercise a week lost on average about 15 pounds more than people who got less activity. For the most part the activity involved was walking.

Teething drug has killed 34

A tainted teething drug used on children in Nigeria has killed 34, and the government is flying in an antidote to the poison in the hope of saving more lives. The “My Pikin” teething syrup was tainted with diethylene glycol, which has been causing kidney damage. More than 40 children have been taken to the hospital for treatment, but it’s feared many more are sick but don’t have access to health care.

Bally in bankruptcy for second time

Finally, just 14 months after emerging from bankruptcy, the company behind Bally Total Fitness has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection again. The company owns and operates 349 gyms across the country. The company says new memberships are down and costs are up, and it is unable to refinance its debt given the credit crunch. It wants to either reorganize under current ownership or be sold to another company. Bally says it’s in “advanced negotiations” with some lenders about a sale, which would have to be approved by the court in order to go through.

(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)

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This entry was posted on Thursday, December 4th, 2008 and is filed under Bariatric surgery, Diet and food industry, Exercise and fitness, Food safety, Foreign stories (non-U.S.), Nibbles: diet news shorts, Obesity research and studies, Sodium and hypertension. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Permalink.