C6 Tuesday, January 14, 2014
FITNESS & WELL-BEING HEALTH BITES ............................................ Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com A growing divide in youth obesity Recent research shows that childhood obesity in the US has plateaued but the bad news is a new study reveals a significant and growing class gap between the well-off and the disadvantaged. In a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Harvard University researchers found that between 1999 and 2010 obesity began to decline among higher socioeconomic status youth but continued to increase among those of lower status. The more well-off group also had higher levels of physical activity and a greater decrease in caloric intake compared to the disadvantaged youth.
Trans fats improve the texture and shelf life of baked goods, meaning cheaper prices. Photo: David Wong
Despite a US ban, artery-clogging artificial trans fats are likely to remain part of local menus, writes Nan-Hie In
E
ven as the United States moves to outlaw arteryclogging, artificial trans fatty acids from its food, consumers shouldn’t expect a ban in Hong Kong any time soon. Legislative Council member Joseph Lee Kok-long, who represents the health services functional constituency, says he is reluctant to ban trans fats because it could affect the city’s bakeries and fast food industry by adding to their costs. He says partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, the major source of trans fats, are commonly used to improve the texture and shelf life of baked goods. “If [food producers] have to use alternatives, it may increase the price of the food items, which might have an impact on the public,” says Lee, who also heads the nursing and health studies division at the Open
BAKING BAD
University of Hong Kong. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took the first step towards eliminating most trans fats from food by revoking the “generally recognised as safe” status of partially hydrogenated oils. If that preliminary status is confirmed, these oils will be considered additives that cannot be used in foods without approval. This means foods containing trans fats cannot be sold. News of the American ban has led other countries to consider similar action. In Australia, health experts and officials urged a ban. In contrast, an official from the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment told China Daily the mainland would not follow suit because Chinese diets included few trans fats. Not all trans fats are bad. Natural forms in the milk and meat of ruminant animals, such
Unseen risk in everyday foods Hongkongers are unwittingly consuming trans fats when they dine out or snack on the run. The trans fats in flaky pastries and deep-fried fare do not have to be disclosed. Chan suggests eating single portions, since a daily limit of just 2.2 grams is recommended. “The safest practice is to not go over one gram [in a single sitting] because you have other foods in your daily life, which may contain trans fat.” For prepackaged foods, “if you don’t see a zero in trans fat, don’t buy it,” she says.
Egg tart, pie or pastry: 0.39 grams each, up to 1.1 grams Cheesecake: 0.44 grams, 0.2 grams to 0.65 grams Tuna or curry puff: 0.7 grams, 0.37 grams to 0.92 grams Common supermarket items with high levels of trans fats Typical trans fats content in a 100 gram serving
Typical trans fats content of bakery goods in Hong Kong Average content in a 100 gram portion, and typical range
Bisquick pancakes: 3.8 grams Kjeldsens butter cookies: 1.3 grams Sonton Kurogoma Cream (a black sesame seed spread): 14.8 grams McCormick sesame salad dressing: 2.4 grams Poppin microwave popcorn, butter flavoured: 9.5 grams Tico’s nacho and cheese: 3 grams
Croissant: 0.7 grams, 0.29 to 1.1 grams
Sources: Centre for Food Safety; Consumer Council
as cattle, goats and sheep, may improve health, according to a 2012 study by researchers at the University of Alberta’s metabolic and cardiovascular diseases laboratory. Industrially produced trans fats are linked to heart disease. The FDA says a complete ban on partially hydrogenated oils could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease a year. “The detrimental effect was found in studies where an increase in trans fat by 2per cent of the total calories of your diet will increase your cardiovascular disease risk by 23percent,” says June Chan, senior dietitian at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital. “In comparison to saturated fat, an increase in 2 per cent in saturated fat is only correlated to an increase of 2 per cent in heart disease risk.” Artificial trans fats are primarily produced by the industrial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, a process that solidifies them, extending the lifespan of the food they are added to. They are also cheaper to buy than saturated animal fats such as butter. These two reasons have seen their use proliferate in processed foods such as desserts, microwave popcorn, frozen pizzas and coffee creamers. Margarine is also produced by hydrogenation. In the 1980s, many food manufacturers and consumers switched from butter to margarine because of concerns about butter’s high saturated fat content. In the past two decades, however, studies have shown trans fats to be a bigger coronary clogger than saturated fats. The synthetic fat raises low-density lipoprotein, the “bad” cholesterol, in the blood and decreases the “good” variety, high-density lipoprotein. In 2003, the FDA ruled that artificial trans fats contents had to be listed on food labels, a shift
In 2003, artificial trans fats contents had to be listed on food labels in the US, a shift that prompted many manufacturers to eliminate them altogether. Photo: Shutterstock
The initiative of making people healthy is not the priority of this government SYLVIA LAM, DIETITIAN
that prompted many manufacturers to eliminate them altogether. Some fast food chains, such as McDonald’s, found substitutes and sharply reduced their use of trans fats. The result was a fall in consumption in the US, from 4.6grams a day in 2006 to about one gram in 2012. The World Health Organisation recommends trans fats make up less than 1 per cent of energy intake, or 2.2 grams for someone consuming 2,000 calories a day. But artificial trans fats have yet to be banned outright. Hong Kong Dietitians Association chairman Sylvia Lam endorses a
ban, although she doubts it will happen soon. “The initiative of making people healthy is still not the priority of this government.” It was a lesson she learned first hand while pushing for the introduction of the Nutrition Labelling Scheme, which came into effect in 2010. She said fighting to have the law introduced was an onerous process. Additional research on trans fats consumption is also needed, she says. “Unfortunately, there are no statistics on the consumption intake of trans fat in Hong Kong. If the government does not have these numbers, they won’t do anything about it.” Chan is another advocate for a ban. “There is no benefit of trans fat nutritionally. The only benefit is from a commercial point of view.” Lee says prohibition is an arduous process – involving drafting legislation, debate and deliberation at
Legco – draw flak from the food industry. He prefers a less disruptive approach, educating the public on how to limit their intake of trans fats. Hong Kong consumers depend on regulators to enforce the monitoring of the trans fats in our food. The most effective tool is the food labelling law, which forces food manufacturers to disclose the amount of trans fats contained in packaged items. The Centre for Food Safety and the Consumer Council also conduct tests on food. Collectively, these efforts have resulted in trans fats removed from some foods. The most recent assessments conducted by the centre show that the average content of trans fats in cakes, bread, pies and pastries, and other foods has declined sharply. A spokesman for the Centre for Food and Safety says the reduction reflects the food industry’s achievements in reducing trans fats in food. life@scmp.com
More vitamin D produces stronger babies Children are likely to have stronger muscles if their mothers had a higher level of vitamin D in their body during pregnancy, a University of Southampton study has found. This greater muscle strength is likely to track into adulthood, says lead researcher Dr Nicholas Harvey, and potentially help to reduce the burden of illness associated with loss of muscle mass in old age. Among nearly 700 mothers in the later stages of pregnancy, high vitamin D levels were related to higher grip strength in the child.
High, but not dry Contrary to a commonly held belief, drinking up to four cups of regular coffee a day may not upset the healthy fluid balance in your body. New research from the University of Birmingham’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, published in PLOS ONE, shows that moderate coffee drinking does not result in dehydration, and in fact contributes to daily fluid requirements just as other fluids do. Fifty male participants were tested in two phases, separated by a 10-day wash out period. First, they drank four mugs (200 millilitres) of either black coffee or water per day for three days, then they switched. The researchers found no significant difference in total body water or any of the blood measures of hydration status between them.
WE RUN HK ................................................ Rachel Jacqueline life@scmp.com The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, which started in 1997 with a humble 1,000 runners, has grown into a running festival for the city, with 73,000 racers expected to take part this year. To celebrate the city’s passion for the sport, we’ll be featuring the story of one inspirational runner each week until the race on February 16. What would running sound like if you couldn’t hear? For Yeung Yuk-wing, running is the sound of perseverance. It is the sound
of friendship, and it holds the remedy to good health. Yeung is deaf. But curiosity got the 51-year-old horse groomsman running three years ago. He has competed in six races – his best result a six-hour marathon – and says running makes him strong, independent and has given him a new lease on life. Together with blind running partner Mok Kim-wing, Yeung has set himself the goal of completing this year’s Hong Kong marathon within five hours. He is a member of the Fearless Dragons, a Hong Kong running club which partners blind and deaf runners.
I lost my hearing after birth because of a fever. I was never very sporty growing up. It is very difficult for deaf people to take part in team sports because we cannot hear other peoples’ voices. I have always wanted to try running. I think runners have great perseverance and that it is a very meaningful activity. Three years ago the opportunity arose to learn to run with the Association of the Deaf. Because I wanted to get fit and be healthy, I decided to give it a try. I used to worry about starting running so late in life. But after I
got started, I found that as long as I have perseverance, it is never too late. Now I run three times a week with other hearing- and visually-impaired runners. I enjoy training with them; we have a strong sense of community and are all good friends. I also feel that I am stronger, in my mind and body, because of running. The impact of running in my life has been quite astonishing. I find I’m more energetic at work. Even after working long hours, I do not get tired. Running is like a recharging activity after a whole
Mok (left) and Yeung. Photo: Nora Tam
day of work; both my mind and body feel refreshed after a workout. For me it is not difficult to strike a balance between work and running because running is a regular habit. I always look forward to it. Before running, I wasn’t really passionate about any sports. But after I started running, I found that I could do it and have inspired myself further. I now have a kind of runner’s enthusiasm. I guess they call that a runner’s high.
The biggest challenge when I run is the need for total concentration. I cannot have too many distractions or it might be dangerous. As long as I focus, I can even run on my own. Running is about challenging your limits. Your only competition is yourself. I like taking up challenges and fighting against my limits as a deaf person. As long as we work hard and persevere, we can achieve anything. I hope we can inspire other people. If I didn’t run, I would be regretful. I would not have made so many friends.