Health TO YOUR
Mid-Valley Newspapers Mid-
May 2013
A guide to wellness and healthy living in the Mid-Willamette mette Valley
STAT Quick reads about health topics in the news
Menopause belly More than 50 million women in the United States are 50 years or older; and 75 percent of women age 50 to 55 are postmenopausal, according to the Menopause Center of Minnesota. Most — if not all — will have to confront postmenopausal weight gain. How much weight a woman gains after menopause varies from person to person. According to a 2010 study in the International Journal of Obesity, women gain an average of 12 pounds within eight years after menopause. Scientists have long known that lower estrogen levels after menopause can cause fat storage to shift from the hips and thighs to the abdomen. Now, a groundbreaking study, co-authored by the Mayo Clinic, has determined why: Proteins, revved up by the estrogen drop, cause fat cells to store fat more efficiently. The study also revealed a double whammy: These cellular changes also slow down fat burning by the body. — Minneapolis Star-Tribune (May 6)
The cost of looking young
Cindy Day and her children Lila, 3, and Nathaniel, 1, picnic at Central Park in Corvallis last week. ANDY CRIPE | TO YOUR HEALTH
The new pediatric nutrition Parents taking increasingly involved steps toward healthy diets for infants sure early on actually protects dads well-meaning but outdated from an allergy later.” What’s advice from when their own orvallis mother Cara more, being vigilant about expo- children were small. Miller makes her sure to potential allergens was “One thing you still hear a lot own baby food and hard for parents to keep up on, is to put a little bit of rice cereal is cautious about and research hasn’t found that it in the bottle to help fill babies up the type of meat she was effective at reducing allerso they’ll sleep better,” Walsh feeds her children, gies. said. “That just doesn’t work, for fear of exposing When it comes to sweet foods, but the idea still seems to perthem to artificial research shows that it doesn’t sist.” hormones. matter whether parents introMiller said she has heard the Holly Canan grinds her own duce sweet foods only after they cereal-in-a-bottle tip, as well as flax seeds and uses them to sup- have learned to accept vegetathe advice that feeding a baby plement the iron in her toddlers’ bles; humans are born with a solid food will help them sleep diets. preference for tasty treats. through the night. Cindy Day made sure to “You’re not going to be able to “That didn’t work with mine, breastfeed exclusively for six to guide them away from that taste even though I had people promnine months, and limited her preference,” Walsh said. ise that it would,” she said. children’s exposure to items like The caveat — and there always Walsh said many sleep-deeggs, nuts and shellfish because is one — is that families who prived parents get so desperate they are potential allergens. have a history of allergies to a for shut-eye that they start All three women are commitparticular food should discuss solids earlier than they should. ted to giving their children a the matter with the pediatrician. A study released by the Centers good start toward a lifetime of “The previous formal recomfor Disease Control in April healthy eating habits, but none mendations were issued in 2003, 2013 showed that many parents of them were aware that accord- and these are from 2013, so don’t even wait until the recing to the latest guidelines from they’re more updated. But aller- ommended four- to six-month childhood nutrition experts, gies are an area where there almark to start solid foods. In avoiding foods like nuts and egg ways tends to be a lot of contro- fact, Walsh said, babies benefit whites actually may do more versy, so some people might be from receiving more of their harm than good. advised differently by their doc- mother’s antibodies through Welcome to the ever-changing tor,” Walsh breast milk if said. parents wait to world of pediatric nutrition. ‘I do give treats, start solids. Plus That’s the “You can’t make a one-sizemany young bacase for Day’s fits all recommendation,” said but I want to make bies just haven’t family; Day Carol Walsh, a registered dietisure that food we’re developed the herself has an tian with The Corvallis Clinic. skills to swallow allergy to eating really has the And yet, that’s just what parmushy shellfish, so ents ask their pediatricians, fuel our bodies need.’ even things like she still has friends and relatives for — simpureed veggies CINDY DAY not given her ple rules on what to feed their yet. MOTHER babies and when. As a result, or- 3-year-old So what’s a daughter or 1ganizations like the American parent to do, faced with conyear-old son any foods like Academy of Pediatrics issue forflicting advice and changing mal guidelines, and then change shrimp. Other than that, Day said she attempts to take a mod- guidelines? them when new research comes erate approach to her children’s Walsh recommends talking to light, complicating the issue nutrition: modeling healthy be- over concerns with your pediafor the general public. havior herself, saving sweets for trician; making sure any advice As recently as five years ago, special occasions, and following you read on the Internet is from the academy’s official position the guidelines that work for their research-based medical sources was that babies should have no family. like the American Academy of cow’s milk before 1 year old, no “I want to fuel my family well,” Pediatrics; and simply paying eggs until 2, and nothing with attention to your children to see any peanut products until age 3. Day said. “I do give treats, but I want to make sure that food when and how they react to difSolid foods were to be introwe’re eating really has the fuel ferent foods. duced beginning with a singlegrain cereal, followed by vegeta- our bodies need.” For mid-valley parents, the bles and then fruits. concern is not just to fill their Plenty of advice kids’ bellies, but to make sure However, that restrictive apthey’re doing it well. proach may have done more In addition to the fact that harm than good. “I am definitely aware that to nutrition recommendations some degree, the habits I de“The latest is that nuts, eggs change over time, parents may velop in my kids through childand shellfish are OK between 4 also have to deal with advice hood are going to stick with to 6 months,” Walsh said. “The from friends and family memthem,” Miller said. assumption is that some expobers who give new moms and
By JENNIFER ROUSE
C
HOW TO FEED BABIES Here are the latest guidelines on feeding babies: • Only breast milk or formula until 4-6 months old. • It’s traditional to start with a mild single-grain cereal like rice cereal, but any soft, easily swallowed food is fine to start with. • Introduce new foods one at a time, and wait a few days before adding another new food.That way if your baby does show signs of an allergy or sensitivity to a food, you’ll know what caused it. • There is no benefit to delaying dairy, eggs, meat, nuts, or wheat; you can feed them to babies at any time from 4-6 months on. In fact, early exposure to allergenic foods might prevent allergies later on. • Parents should still avoid introducing honey until after 1 year,to avoid the risk of botulism. Resources: www.healthychildren.org (by the American Academy of Pediatrics)
In 2012, Americans spent $2 billion on injectable procedures and $1.8 billion on skin rejuvenation procedures, says the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The most popular nonsurgical procedures were injections of Botulinum Toxin Type A (including Botox and Dysport), 3.3 million procedures; followed by Hyaluronic Acid fillers (including Restylane and Juvederm), 1.4 million procedures. — The Miami Herald (May 7)
Eye insights “People need to realize that looking into your eyes is more than checking your vision,” says genetics counselor Linda Robinson of University of Texas Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center. “Your eyes can tell us so much more than if you need glasses.” Most notably, they can show signs of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular problems. An eye exam can also reveal lupus and multiple sclerosis as well as various kinds of cancer. That’s a lot of secrets in a relatively small space. One reason is that the eye is so exposed, explains Andreane Fagala, an associate and therapeutic optometrist with Arnold M. Stokol O.D. and Associates of Richardson,Texas. “It’s the only part of the whole human body where we can visualize the arteries and veins in a noninvasive way,” she says. — The Dallas Morning News (May 8)
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Tuesday, May 14, 2013
To Your Health