Nibbles: Preschoolers don’t move much, more on D and brain health and Twinkies back from bankruptcy
Most young kids’ play is sedentary
A study looking a three-, four- and five-year-olds enrolled in community-based preschool programs found that 89 percent of the kids’ physical activity could be described as sedentary activity, while 56 percent of activities were sedentary during outdoor playtime. Teachers rarely encouraged kids to be more active, but when active toys like balls were available, and when there was space to play, kids were more active than those who didn’t have such luxuries.
New Yorkers to get refunds from LA Weight Loss
When LA Weight Loss closed all its franchises in New York state shortly before declaring bankruptcy early last year the company left hundreds of people in the state high and dry who had paid for services they never received. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says people in the state will get $275,000 in refunds from the company. The AG’s office already knows of more than 100 people entitled to settlement money and is looking for thousands more. Individual claims against the company range from $49 to $1,200, and how much people will get back depends on how many people are involved in the final settlement.
Low D linked to cognitive decline
Adults aged 65 and older who are deficient in vitamin D show more cognitive impairment than people the same age with higher levels of the vitamin in their bloodstream. That’s the conclusion of a study based on information from the Health Survey for England 2000. People were given a 10-question test that covers a range of cognitive abilities such as attention, memory and orientation in time and space. Those who had the lowest levels of D in their bodies were more than twice as likely to fail the test than people with the highest levels.
New Zealand junks healthy food measure
Yesterday we told you about some schools in Scotland bringing back junk food in the hope of keeping kids at school for lunch. Now it turns out New Zealand is backtracking on healthy lunch rules. The Education Minister, Anne Tolley, says schools won’t have to provide only healthy options to kids. Critics of the plan had called the government the food police and said the rule would send kids running off campus for unhealthy fare. The country will allow individual districts to determine their own health guidelines. One Green MP calls the move “astonishingly stupid.”
Moderate drinking may cut disability in seniors
Having a drink or so a day may help older people stay more physically fit over the years than people who don’t drink, according to research in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Older adults who were in good health to start with and had a drink daily were less likely to have trouble walking and doing daily chores five years after the study began than those who didn’t drink. The effect wasn’t seen in people who were in poor health to start with. On average, men and women who had fewer than 15 drinks per week were a quarter less likely to become disabled than those who didn’t drink at all. The difference may be because alcohol protects the heart.
Twinkie company out of bankruptcy
Finally, we’re happy to report that Interstate Bakeries, the makers of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Drakes Cakes and other marvels of junk, has emerged from bankruptcy. The company filed for bankruptcy protection back in 2004, when low-carb diets were keeping people from buying the sweet, unidentifiable stuff. But days are better for the confectionary now (the company also makes Wonder Bread) because people are always in the mood for indulgence, it seems.
(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
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