Princess Health and Wellness coalition in Perry County, where life expectancy is state's lowest, gets funding from Foundation for a Healthy Ky.. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Wellness coalition in Perry County, where life expectancy is state's lowest, gets funding from Foundation for a Healthy Ky.. Princessiccia

Appalachia children children's health education farm to school farmers' markets food Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky foundations grants hospitals life expectancy nutrition philanthropy schools

Gusty 10:14 Add Comment

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has funded the Perry County Wellness Coalition's three-year plan to encourage fitness and better nutrition in school-age children, "Kids on the Move!"

The wellness coalition will receive $144,450 from the foundation this year, matched by $124,944 from the community, to increase access to physical activity and provide healthier food options and nutrition education. Perry County has the lowest life expectancy in Kentucky.

"Our children are the most valuable resource we have," said Gerry Roll, executive director of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, which is serving as fiscal agent for the coalition. "It's the best investment we can make as a community partner."

The health coalition will work with local schools to implement physical activity and nutrition-policy changes, collaborate with local farmers' markets for a strong farm-to-school component, and coordinate with other community agencies to create a lasting and collective impact.

The project also will implement best-practices nutrition and exercise programs in schools, support community gardens, summer feeding programs, and a "Farmacy" program to increase the purchase of healthier produce at farmers' markets and local grocery stores, among other changes to be coordinated by the agencies in the coalition.

The Appalachian Regional Healthcare hospital in Hazard will be the administrative hub for the coalition, providing leadership and sharing its expertise in promoting community health. "We have already begun these efforts by providing fitness fairs and health screenings to over 20 schools in our service area and reaching a little more than 2,500 middle school and high school age kids this year alone," said Hazard ARH Community CEO Dan Stone said.

The coalition is among seven Kentucky communities funded by the foundation's "Investing in Kentucky's Future" initiative, which is spending $3 million over five years to fund communities working to improve the health of their school-aged children. The other groups are in Breathitt, Clinton, Grant, Jefferson and McLean counties, and in Boyd and Greenup counties. Perry County was in the original announcement and recently completed its detailed plan. It shares with Breathitt and Wolfe counties the state's lowest life expectancy, 70 years.

Princess Health and Clinton County coalition works to change the health lifestyle of its children, in an effort to change the local health culture. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Clinton County coalition works to change the health lifestyle of its children, in an effort to change the local health culture. Princessiccia

child obesity children children's health exercise health rankings nutrition school lunch school nurses schools youth

Gusty 08:38 Add Comment

By Melissa Patrick

Kentucky Health News

Public officials and local leaders in a small, rural county in Southern Kentucky that ranks near the bottom of in the County Health Rankings for the state have formed a coalition to improve the health of its community, with a focus on its children.

Clinton County (Wikipedia map)

Clinton County ranked 102nd out of 120 Kentucky counties in the 2016 County Health Rankings. �We recognize that. We saw that in our kids,� Lora Brewington, chief compliance officer of Cumberland Family Medical Center Inc., told Kentucky Educational Television in a report to be aired soon about the coalition.�And if we don�t change something now, we�re going to be going to the funeral home for kids a lot younger.�

So, with the help of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, they formed the Clinton County Healthy Hometown Coalition to implement a multi-faceted public health program for the community's citizens, that focuses on its children.

�The coalition came together [according to] Aristotle�s thinking, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,� Brewington told KET. �We have a lot of great groups, that do a lot of great things, but if everyone is going for the same goal, and the resources are not combined, you�re not going to accomplish anything. And once we get everybody together and on the same page, by combining resources, we�ve been able to do some great things.�

Paula Little, assistant superintendent and supervisor of instruction for Clinton County schools, told KET that the coalition recognized most of the county's health issues stemmed from obesity, and decided to focus their efforts on the children in the community to change their culture.

"So we feel like if we can start young and start with our children and teach them healthy habits and healthy lifestyles that when they grow up they won't be faced with obesity and all of those chronic diseases that go with it," Little said.

Many of the coalition�s activities are school-based. Teachers have incorporated physical activity into the school day as well as during their morning routines and after-school day-care programs.

The coalition has worked with the schools to improve nutrition. Fruits and vegetables are now served every day with every meal. The schools also began offering supper to students during the school year and has since served over 6,400 meals. The program began last October.

Recognizing that an estimated 38 percent of Clinton County's children live in low-income families, the coalition launched a summer food program that delivers breakfast and lunch in a retrofitted school bus called the Bus Stop Caf� to areas in the county with high student populations.

The Healthy Hometown Coalition has also implemented school-based health clinics, which provides for the healthcare needs of students through a public-private partnership while they are at school. The clinics are run by the Cumberland Family Medical Center. In addition to providing clinical care, the clinics provide body mass index assessments and provide nutrition and obesity counseling.

�It�s about accessibility,� Brewington said. �It�s about the kid who has a cough and needs to see a doctor, but the parent can�t take off from work. ...It's about having healthcare right there where the child is the majority of the time."

Not mentioned in the KET report is that Clinton County schools implemented a comprehensive smoke-free policy last year that will go into effect in July. The policy will ban smoking on school property both during school hours and during school sponsored events, and also includes electronic cigarettes and all vapor products.

The coalition is working to change the culture of its community so that a healthy lifestyle becomes the norm, and not the exception.

�When you�re attempting to change a culture, and change the way people live, that�s a very long process,� Little said. �And it has to be something that�s consistent, that�s ongoing, and it has to be a message that children hear everywhere they go in the community.�

A full-time coordinator, April Speck, manages the various coalition programs and writes a weekly health column in the Clinton County News that often celebrates individual success stories. The coalition also sponsors community events, and has built a new playground.

�What makes me feel good about it is that I know there�s a real need here,� Speck told KET. �There�s a lot of kids who have childhood obesity... And just seeing them start to make changes in what they are doing, how much they are eating, their water intake, I know that we�re making an improvement.�

Princess Health and Changes coming for Nutrition Facts labels on food products: emphasis on calories, added sugar and serving size. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Changes coming for Nutrition Facts labels on food products: emphasis on calories, added sugar and serving size. Princessiccia

calories childhood obesity diet federal regulation food food and drug administration food industry food marketing nutrition obesity

Gusty 14:14 Add Comment

Associated Press

By Danielle Ray
Kentucky Health News

Nutrition labels on food products will undergo a facelift over the next two years.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized plans Friday to change labeling to emphasize calorie count and added sugars in an effort to simply nutrition labels and clarify serving sizes.

First lady Michelle Obama, a longtime crusader against childhood obesity, said parents will benefit from the upcoming changes.

"You will no longer need a microscope, a calculator, or a degree in nutrition to figure out whether the food you're buying is actually good for our kids," she told The Associated Press.

The overhaul puts less emphasis on fats and more on caloric value and added sugars. Calories on upcoming labels will be listed in larger font than other nutrient facts. Added sugar will get its own line, separate from naturally occurring sugar.  Currently, both added and naturally occurring sugars were lumped under one category, "Sugars."

New labels will also include a new "percent daily value" for added sugar, which will tell consumers how much of their recommended daily intake they will get from a given item. The FDA recommends consuming less than 10 percent of total daily calories (200 calories in a typical diet) from added sugar.

"The new labels should also spur food manufacturers to add less sugar to their products," Michael Jacobson, president of the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest, told AP. He said that under current labeling, it's nearly impossible for consumers to know how much sugar fits into a reasonable diet.

The footnote will better explain what "percent daily value" means. It will read: �The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.�

Serving sizes will also be clearer. The biggest difference will be that serving sizes will be based on what consumers typically eat instead of what they should eat. About one-fifth of foods will undergo revised calculations. For example, a serving size of ice cream will be 2/3 of a cup; previously it was a 1/2 cup.

If you've ever been duped into consuming more calories than you intended, or tried to calculate exactly what fraction of a slice of pizza constitutes a serving size, you're in luck. Package size affects what people eat, the FDA noted. So, products that were previously between one and two servings, such as a 20-ounce soda, will be labeled as a single serving, since consumers generally eat or drink the entire contents in one sitting.

Larger containers, like pints of ice cream, will have dual column labels: one column with information for a single serving and the other with information for the entire container.

Labels will also include two additional nutrients: potassium and Vitamin D.

Industry reaction was predictable. A representative for the Sugar Association told AP that emphasis on added sugar could confuse consumers, but other industry leaders welcomed the changes.

"This update is timely as diets, eating patterns and consumer preferences have changed dramatically since the Nutrition Facts panel was first introduced," Leon Bruner, of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, told AP.

Most food manufacturers have until July 2018 to comply. Smaller manufacturers will have an additional year.

The FDA proposed the changes two years ago. They are the first major update to nutrition labels since labeling was introduced in 1994. So far, more than 800,000 foods have nutrition labels.

For more information on the changes, click here.

Princess Health and Slicing your way to an apple a day: Americans' apple consumption is on the rise because we're eating them in small pieces. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Slicing your way to an apple a day: Americans' apple consumption is on the rise because we're eating them in small pieces. Princessiccia

children's health diet health nutrition school health school lunch

Gusty 13:13 Add Comment

Photo from livestrong.com

By Danielle Ray
Kentucky Health News

Presentation is everything. Apple consumption is on the rise, and researchers at Cornell University think pre-sliced apples are the cause.

The 2013 Cornell study explored why so many whole apples served in school lunches ended up uneaten in the trash. Researchers found that eating whole apples can be difficult for young children with small mouths and for kids with missing teeth or braces. The study also noted that older girls find whole fruits messy and unattractive to eat.

The study found that consumption jumped by more than 60 percent when apples were served sliced. These findings back up U.S. Department of Agriculture statistical data about overall apple consumption. Data show that Americans ate more than 510 million pre-sliced apples in 2014, up from fewer than 150 a decade before.

Likewise, overall apple consumption has grown by 13 percent percent since 2010, according to USDA data. Americans ate about 17.5 pounds per capita in 2013, the most in nearly a decade.

Why does simply slicing an apple matter? The difference between a whole apple and apple slices may seem silly or superficial, especially to an adult, but the inconvenience is a barrier nonetheless, David Just, a professor of behavioral economics at Cornell and one of the researchers behind the study, told Roberto Ferdman of The Washington Post.

"It sounds simplistic, but even the simplest forms of inconvenience affect consumption," Just said. "Sliced apples just make a lot more sense for kids."

The rise of mass-produced pre-sliced apples probably has a lot to do with the fast food industry. McDonald's added apple slices to its menu in 2004 in an effort to give parents healthier options. The company began automatically serving apple slices with Happy Meals in 2012, causing apple sales to skyrocket.

McDonald's has served more than 2 billion packages since first offering apple slices as a side, a representative for the company told the Post. In 2015 alone, the company served nearly 250 million packages of sliced apples, which amounts to more than 60 million apples, or about 10 percent of all fresh sliced apples sold in the United States, the Post noted.

The USDA, which oversees school lunch programs, can't be sure of how many schools offer pre-sliced apples versus whole apples, as local school districts make that decision. However, the agency does make recommendations and encourages schools make fruit appealing in presentation.

The problem with the pre-sliced apple trend? It may lessen food waste, but it increases plastic waste, which puts a strain on the environment. McDonald's apple slices, for example, are served in plastic wrappers. These wrappers are recyclable, yes, but two important differentials exist. First, "recyclable" does not mean it was made of recycled materials, only that it has the potential to be recycled. Second, just because consumers can recycle the wrappers does not mean they will.

Princess Health and House Republicans want to make it harder for schools to get free meals for all students; could affect more than 350 Ky. schools. Princessiccia

Princess Health and House Republicans want to make it harder for schools to get free meals for all students; could affect more than 350 Ky. schools. Princessiccia

children children's health food income nutrition poverty school health school lunch schools

Gusty 10:38 Add Comment

Photo from npr.org

By Danielle Ray
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky school officials are concerned about a proposal by Republicans in the U.S. House that would make it harder for schools to offer free meals to all students using federal money.

The House is considering changes to the 2010 Hunger-Free Kids Act, now in its second year, which allows schools who serve a high-poverty population to offer free meals to every student.

Instead of collecting individual applications for free or reduced-price meals, the Community Eligibility Provision uses data that illustrates how many students in a given school may be "food-vulnerable": how many students live in households that receive government assistance, live in foster care, are homeless, and other similar criteria.

Under current CEP rules, schools with greater than 40 percent of students who qualify as food-vulnerable are eligible to offer free meals to all students. A bill approved May 18 by the House Education and Workforce Committee would raise the threshold to 60 percent, forcing schools between 40 and 59 percent range off the program.

"Proponents of community eligibility say it spares schools from paperwork and administrative burdens, and that it allows low-income children to eat free meals without the stigma or red tape of particpation in the free meal program, which is often a barrier for participation," Evie Blad reports for Education Week. "But Republicans on the committee said the provision is wasteful, potentially allowing children from higher-income families access to free meals."

The change could affect more than 350 Kentucky schools. Kentucky has 804 schools eligible to offer free meals under current CEP rules, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Under the proposed bill, only 441 would qualify, according to the center.

More than 10,000 students at 17 public schools in Lexington alone would be affected, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. More than 190,000 students statewide could be affected, the Herald-Leader said.

Nick Brake, superintendent of Owensboro schools, told Keith Lawrence of The Messenger-Inquirer that he is hopeful that his district will be spared cuts.

"I have been working with Congressman (Brett) Guthrie�s office on this issue," Brake said. "We are still looking at the overall numbers, but our district average is 63 percent, so it looks favorable that we will be able to continue to provide the benefit of this vital program in the future."

Muhlenberg County Supt. Randy McCarty told Lawrence he thought his district would still qualify. "Once a district goes CEP, it stays in place for four years," he said.

Hopkins County, which recently expanded its use of free meals to all public schools, faces uncertainty if the changes are passed.

"I have no idea if school districts will be grandfathered in, or how Congress will write everything, but I am afraid that if we don't jump on this now, we may not get this opportunity again," Michael Dodridge, food services director of Hopkins County schools, told Laura Buchanan of The Messenger in Madisonville. "I would hate to pass this up."

UPDATE, May 26: The Harlan Independent School Board voted to join the program, Joe Asher reports for the Harlan Daily Enterprise.

The proposed CEP changes are part of House Resolution 5003, the child nutrition reauthorization bill introduced by Indiana Republican Rep. Todd Rokita. For more information on the proposed changes, click here.

Princess Health and McDonald's stops sending to schools man who says he lost much weight eating only at McDonald's, including Big Macs and fries. Princessiccia

Princess Health and McDonald's stops sending to schools man who says he lost much weight eating only at McDonald's, including Big Macs and fries. Princessiccia

child obesity children children's health diet education fast food nutrition restaurants schools youth

Gusty 18:49 Add Comment

Photo via flickriver.com

McDonald�s has stopped "giving nutrition advice to students in schools, pulling back on a program that critics said was a subtle form of fast-food marketing that could imperil kids� health and understanding of nutrition," Roberto Ferdman reports for The Washington Post.

The company had been sending to schools "a middle-aged teacher from Iowa who came to fame after claiming to have lost almost 60 pounds eating only McDonald�s," including Big Macs and french fries, Ferdman writes.

"McDonald�s said in a statement this week that Cisna stopped those visits last fall, after a Washington Post article highlighted how McDonald�s used its relationship with local schools and teachers� associations to get its message in front of students. . . . McDonald�s had long defended the practice, saying that Cisna�s presentation was about choice, not about eating McDonald�s. But critics argued it amounted to little more than a veiled attempt to woo customers at a young and impressionable age."

Princess Health and Childhood obesity rates continue to rise nationally while Ky.'s rate has leveled off, but 1/3 of kids are still overweight or obese. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Childhood obesity rates continue to rise nationally while Ky.'s rate has leveled off, but 1/3 of kids are still overweight or obese. Princessiccia

childhood obesity farm to school nutrition obesity pediatrics physical activity research school lunch schools

Gusty 09:46 Add Comment

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Nationally, childhood obesity rates are not declining and severe obesity rates are still rising, especially among minority children. However, in Kentucky, child obesity rates have remained stable and the rates of obesity for minority children are not rising.

�Understanding the ongoing trends in obesity is important for public health and policymakers,� lead researcher Asheley Skinner, who is with the Duke Clinical Research Institute, said in a news release. �Our study suggests that more than 4.5 million children and adolescents in the U.S. have severe obesity."

The study, published in the journal Obesity, examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2014 and found that 33.4 percent of children in the U.S. were overweight, meaning their body mass index (BMI) was above the 85th percentile for children their age. BMI levels estimate body fat based on height and weight.

In 2013-14, the study found that nearly 24 percent were obese, or above the 95th percentile, and that 2.4 percent were severely obese, or more than 140 percent of the 95th percentile.

The authors noted that the only statistical increase in child obesity since 2011 was found in those who were severely obese, which went up 2.1 percent, and this increase was most prevalent among African American and Latino children. The report also said that while there has been an increase in obesity in all age groups over the past 30 years, it "may be leveling off."

It could be that this "leveling off" effect is happening in Kentucky, where more than one-third of children are either overweight or obese.

The State of Obesity report found that 18 percent of Kentucky's high school students are obese, almost 20 percent of its 10- to 17- year olds are obese and 15.5 percent of its 2- to 4- year-olds from low-income families are obese. The report also shows that these rates have remained consistent for high school obesity since 2003, 10- to 17- year-olds since 2004 and the 2- to 4- year-olds since 2003.

The Kentucky Youth Risk Behavioral Survey also shows no overall statistical changes in obesity rates among  Kentucky's high-school students, including the state's African American high school students, whose rates range from from 15.5 percent obese in 2005 to 19.1 percent in 2013, or its Hispanic high school students, whose obesity rates were 15.5 percent in 2007 and 18.8 percent in 2013, the only two years with available data.

These reports did not break down the different levels of obesity.

Studies have shown that children with severe obesity are at an increased risk for heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes and even cancer when compared to children who are only considered overweight or mildly obese, says the release.

Skinner said it is time to expand local interventions and to find new treatment approaches.

"Addressing obesity in children is going to require a true population health approach, combining efforts at individual, healthcare, community and policy levels," she said in the release.

What is Kentucky doing about childhood obesity?

Kentucky's schools, as community partners in the battle against childhood obesity, are working to combat it through both nutrition and movement initiatives.

For example, most public Kentucky schools participate in the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that requires schools to provide healthier foods for their students; many schools participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides a daily fruit or vegetable snacks to every student in participating schools; and more than 80 Kentucky school districts participate in the National Farm-to-School program.

Jamie Sparks, the school health and physical education director for the Kentucky Department of Education, said in an e-mail to Kentucky Health News that Kentucky schools are working to get students more active through several initiatives.

Sparks pointed out several successes, including school partnerships with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation initiative; a partnership with Humana Vitality called Students with Active Role Models, which encourages teachers and school staff to earn Vitality points by leading physical activity with their students; and partnerships with an online program called GoNoodle, which increases physical activity time in the classroom.

In addition, Sparks said, "Kentucky ranks second in the percentage of public schools enrolled with Let�s Move Active Schools. We have hosted 10 Physical Activity Leader trainings in the past three years."

But is that enough to make a difference?

Dr. Willian Dietz, author of an accompanying journal editorial, said there is a shortage of care-givers to treat obesity, noting that every primary care provider who takes care of children is likely to have about 50 pediatric patients with severe obesity in their practice. He also said that most of these providers aren't trained to treat childhood obesity, nor are they compensated appropriately, if at all, to treat it.

"We need more effective, cost-efficient and standardized approaches and services to manage children with the most severe obesity. This research emphasizes the urgency with which we must develop and validate a reimbursable standard of care for severe obesity in children and adolescents,"Elsie Taveras, spokesperson for The Obesity Society, said in the release.

It should be noted that Dietz, who is the director of the Global Center for Prevention and Wellness at George Washington University, said in his editorial that other data shows obesity rates have declined in two- to five- year olds. He said that this doesn't mean this study is incorrect because different time frames were used. "It all depends on how you look at it," he said. He did, however, acknowledge that severe obesity is increasing among adolescents.

He said, �The authors� observation that severe obesity has increased is of great concern, especially because children with severe obesity become adults with severe obesity.�

Princess Health and Study indicates fast food contains industrial chemicals linked to health problems such as infertility, diabetes and allergies. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Study indicates fast food contains industrial chemicals linked to health problems such as infertility, diabetes and allergies. Princessiccia

allergies diabetes environmental health food infertility nutrition processed food research

Gusty 08:03 Add Comment

People who eat a lot of fast food have higher levels of chemicals that "have been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, including higher rates of infertility," especially among men, Roberto Ferdman reports for The Washington Post.

Researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., say the connection could have "great public health significance," Ferdman writes. "Specifically, the team found that people who eat fast food tend to have significantly higher levels of certain phthalates, which are commonly used in consumer products such as soap and makeup to make them less brittle. . . . The danger, the researchers believe, isn't necessarily a result of the food itself, but rather the process by which the food is prepared."

Here's how the study was done: Researchers analyzed diet and urinalysis data for nearly 9,000 people, collected as part of federal nutrition surveys in 2003-2010. "Food eaten at or from restaurants without waiters or waitresses was considered fast food. Everything else � food eaten at sit-down restaurants and bars or purchased from vending machines � was not," Ferdman writes. "The first thing the researchers found was that roughly one-third of the participants said they had eaten some form of fast food over the course of the day leading up to the urine sample collection," which fits with government estimates.

People who said they had eaten fast food in the previous 24 hours "tended to have much higher levels of two separate phthalates," Ferdman reports. Those who said they ate only a little fast food had levels 15 and 25 percent higher than those who said they had eaten none. "For people who reported eating a sizable amount, the increase was 24 percent and 39 percent, respectively. And the connection held true even after the researchers adjusted for various factors about the participants' habits and backgrounds that might have contributed to the association between fast-food consumption and phthalate levels."

The study was reported in Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal funded by the National Institutes of Health.

"There is little consensus on the harms of phthalates, which are widely used in commerce and give materials such as food packaging added flexibility, except that exposure to them is widespread," Ferdman writes, citing the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "But there is growing concern that the chemicals could pose a variety of risks, particularly when observed in the sort of levels seen in the study."

Noting several other studies, such as those linking the chemicals to diabetes and allergies, Ferdman reports, "Many governments have moved to limit exposure to the industrial chemicals. Japan disallowed the use of vinyl gloves in food preparation for fear that their use was compromising health. The European Union, which limits the use of the chemical, has been nudging manufacturers to replace it. And the United States restricted its use in toys."

So, why do people who eat fast food seem to have much higher levels of these chemicals? That is unclear, Ferdman writes, "but it's easy enough to guess: the sheer amount of processing that goes into food served at quick-service restaurants. The more machinery, plastic, conveyor belts, and various forms of processing equipment that food touches, the more likely the food is to contain higher levels of phthalates. And fast food tends to touch a good deal more of these things than, say, the food one purchases at a local farmers' market."

Ferdman concludes, "It certainly seems as though eating fast food is more toxic than avoiding it, and not for the obvious reasons." He quotes Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University: "Traditional fast food was never meant to be daily fare, and it shouldn�t be," said  "It�s too high in calories and salt and, as we now know, the chemicals that get into our food supply through industrial food production."

Princess Health and Peanut butter can be a healthy choice, but you have to read the labels; gimmicks to improve taste not the best for nutrition. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Peanut butter can be a healthy choice, but you have to read the labels; gimmicks to improve taste not the best for nutrition. Princessiccia

calories consumers nutrition trans fat

Gusty 11:18 Add Comment

Peanut butter has long been considered a healthy food choice, and for the most part it still is, but with the advent of low-fat brands, flavored peanut butters and companies adding preservatives to lengthen shelf life, not all peanut butters are equally nutritious, Jose Aguayo and Ryan Canavan report for the Environmental Working Group.

Originally, peanut butter was made from one ingredient: ground roasted peanuts. But now, commercial brands have added sugars, salt, hydrogenated oils and other preservatives, and some are less acceptable than others.

For example, "reduced-fat peanut butters are some of the worst offenders," the authors write. To reduce the fat calories, manufacturers will often take out the healthy monosaturated fats but then add sugar and salt to improve the taste.

Most commercial brands also add hydrogenated oils, as well as preservatives like potassium sorbate, to extend peanut butter's shelf life. The authors note that over 80 percent of peanut-butter brands have hydrogenated oils, which introduce "artery-clogging saturated and trans fats to peanut butter's otherwise-healthy fat profile."

"For a healthy heart, the American Heart Association recommends avoiding foods with hydrogenated oils, including peanut butter," the authors write. So, read the labels when choosing a peanut butter to determine which ones have the least salt, sugar, hydrogenated oils and preservatives, remembering that the healthiest peanut butters are made from just ground roasted peanuts and a pinch of salt.

It should also be noted that while peanut butter can be a healthy choice, it is high in calories and should be eaten in moderation. A standard serving of peanut butter is 2 tablespoons, which is about the size of a golf ball. This amount has about 190 calories.

Princess Health and Visiting chef at Harlan County High helps incorporate fresh, local foods and flavors into menus; 1 of 8 Ky. districts in program. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Visiting chef at Harlan County High helps incorporate fresh, local foods and flavors into menus; 1 of 8 Ky. districts in program. Princessiccia

education farm to school local food nutrition school lunch schools

Gusty 11:41 Add Comment

image: foodtank.com

The "Chefs in Schools Collaborative" project, which helps school cooks learn how to incorporate fresh, local foods in their menus, is up and running at Harlan County High School, reports WYMT-TV.

"Fresh ingredients are always important to a cook," Judy Gurnee, visiting chef through March, told the Hazard station. "We like to work with the closest available products that we can get ... the finest quality."

Harlan County is one of eight Kentucky school districts in the program. Its cooks asked the visiting chef to help them better use spices on the local vegetables, so that students, whom they described as their "customers," would eat them.

"I'm for anything that's going to get the children to eat," Kitchen Manager Jan Hicks told WYMT. "That's what we are here for."

Making sure the kids eat their school lunch is especially important because for some, it is the only meal they get a day, WYMT reports.

"Our kids, one in four are homeless," Director of Food Service Jack Miniard said. "That means that they are living with a grandparent or they are living with some other family member ... so, this may be the only meal that they get a day."

The program is led by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Farm to School Program in partnership with the Community Farm Alliance and the National Farm to School Network. Participating school districts are in Boyle, Clark, Grayson, Oldham, Harlan, Martin, Morgan, and Pike counties.

Princess Health and Public is invited to join discussion about food sustainability systems at UK April 7; will help shape UK's food-systems studies. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Public is invited to join discussion about food sustainability systems at UK April 7; will help shape UK's food-systems studies. Princessiccia

food nutrition University of Kentucky

Gusty 11:29 Add Comment

The public is invited to a discussion about sustainable food systems at the 2016 Food Studies Symposium at the University of Kentucky April 7 to "share current learning, build collaborations, identify opportunities, stimulate research and envision an interdisciplinary foods program," a UK news release says.

The panel discussion, "Building a Campus-wide, Multi-stakeholder Initiative/Program on Sustainability and Food Systems Studies: Learning from Our Leaders in the Field," will be held from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7 in the E. S. Good Barn, followed by a reception.

"Participants will help shape the future of food systems studies at the university," says the release.

Invited speakers include Peggy Barlett, faculty liaison to Emory University's Office of Sustainability Initiatives; Tom Kelly, founding executive director of the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire; and Jane Kolodinsky, former chair of the University Food System Initiative Steering Committee and chair of the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics at the University of Vermont.

The symposium is co-sponsored by the Sustainability Challenge Grant, The Food Connection at UK and the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment. Click here for more information.

Princess Health and Annual health policy forum set Sept. 28 in Bowling Green.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Annual health policy forum set Sept. 28 in Bowling Green.Princessiccia

education food Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky foundations health education health policy housing nutrition philanthropy schools transportation workplace health

Gusty 19:58 Add Comment

This year's annual Howard L. Bost Health Policy Forum "will offer new insights and opportunities from a range of civic sectors for a shared vision, policies, and actions for community health," says its lead sponsor, the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

"Local, regional, and national speakers will share their knowledge and experiences in building healthy communities, with a focus on transportation and housing, education, food systems and policy, and employers and workplaces," the foundation says. "TED style" speakers will make presentations on each of the forum's four focus areas: education, food systems and policy, employer/workplace, and transportation/housing.

The forum will be held at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green on Monday, Sept. 28. For the registration website, click here.

Princess Health and Trimble County parents protest 'humiliating' treatment of students whose school lunchroom accounts are in the red.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Trimble County parents protest 'humiliating' treatment of students whose school lunchroom accounts are in the red.Princessiccia

food nutrition school lunch schools

Gusty 17:52 Add Comment

Parents in Trimble County are demanding that the county schools stop serving cheese sandwiches to students whose lunchroom accounts are in the red, Kayla Vanover of WAVE-TV in Louisville reports.

"Embarrassing, humiliating and 'flat out wrong' is how parents described the school's policy to take a student's lunch right off the lunch table and toss it because the child's parents had not replenished their account to cover the meal," Vanover reports.

On May 20, Lori Ritchie's daughter "sat down to eat, but her hot meal was thrown away and she was given a cheese sandwich with a side," Vanover reports. "Ritchie said she doesn't blame the workers, but she said the policy needed to be changed a long time ago. Wednesday, a special called public meeting with the school board allowed other parents and community members to voice their opinions on the current policy, in hopes an agreement could be made."

Doug Joyce, grandfather of a student, told the board, "It is bullying. We throw kids out of school or reprimand them for bulling, so why should we let grown-ups bully kids like that?" A board member, unidentified in Vanover's story, said "We don't want any child to be embarrassed or receive an alternative meal, so we are really going to beef up the communication."

Princess Health and Health care professionals strongly endorse new federal dietary guidelines, which say to eat less red and processed meat .Princessiccia

Princess Health and Health care professionals strongly endorse new federal dietary guidelines, which say to eat less red and processed meat .Princessiccia

diet food nutrition

Gusty 08:47 Add Comment

A group of 700 physicians and other health care professionals sent a letter of strong endorsement to the secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services praising the recommended federal dietary guidelines that emphasize eating less red and processed meat, Whitney Forman-Cook reports for Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter.

The letter said the �shift toward a more plant-based diet� in the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's recommendations is a potentially �powerful tool for health promotion� that would help reduce healthcare costs, Forman-Cook writes.

�Three of the four leading causes of preventable death, heart disease, cancer, and stroke -- are diet-related,� the letter reads. �Heavy meat consumption, especially red and processed meat, is associated with increased risks of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, while plant-based diets are associated with decreased risks of all three.�

They also noted that 75 percent of U.S. health-care costs and diminished labor supply and worker productivity is caused by chronic and preventable diseases, costing the country "$1 trillion in lost economic output and billions more in rising healthcare cost," Forman-Cook writes.

For the first time, the guidelines include environmental standards and sustainability language. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack "has not said he is opposed to including sustainability concerns in the final guidelines," Forman-Cook writes. He told her that "he would be personally involved" in writing the new guidelines, keeping them "narrowly focused on nutrition."

U.S. meat producers and many farm organizations have pushed back against the recommendations and the sustainability language.

The health-care professionals also endorsed the DGAC's recommendations on sustainability and calls for the DGAC to "explicitly" list the "common names" of foods in the guidelines and identify appropriate "non-animal protein sources" to help consumers modify their eating habits.

The guidelines, which are revised every five years to reflect advancements in scientific knowledge, are used to guide federal nutrition programs, including school meal standards, and to inform consumers. They are expected to be published later this year.

Princess Health and'Mind Matters' Health Fair in Lexington May 18 will focus on brain and nutrition; famous chef will make free "brain healthy" food.Princessiccia

Princess Health and'Mind Matters' Health Fair in Lexington May 18 will focus on brain and nutrition; famous chef will make free "brain healthy" food.Princessiccia

aging memory loss nutrition prevention University of Kentucky

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Ouita Michel

Nationally known Bluegrass chef Ouita Michel of Midway, who owns seven Lexington-area eateries, will be cooking up free "brain healthy" food at the seventh annual "Mind Matters" Health Fair Monday, May 18 at the Fayette County Extension Office, 1140 Red Mile Place, Lexington.

The fair, sponsored by the University of Kentucky's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Its focus of this year is proper nutrition for a healthy brain, providing information on how diet can help promote healthy brain aging and prevent age-related brain disease.

In addition to Michel's free "brain healthy" food, the event will also feature interactive exhibits, health and memory screenings, and presentations about healthy brain aging, Alzheimer's and music therapy.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Sarah Tarrant at (859) 323-1331.

Princess Health andTwo weeks of high-fiber, low-fat diet brings changes that protect against colon cancer; high-fat diet brings changes with more risk.Princessiccia

Princess Health andTwo weeks of high-fiber, low-fat diet brings changes that protect against colon cancer; high-fat diet brings changes with more risk.Princessiccia

colorectal cancer diet nutrition research

Gusty 13:07 Add Comment

Two weeks is all it took for a change in diet to increase production of a substance in the gut that may reduce the risk of colon cancer, according to a recent study, published in Nature Communications.

The study asked 20 African Americans in Pittsburgh and 20 rural South Africans to switch diets for two weeks. The Americans were fed a high-fiber, low-fat diet, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, cornmeal and very little meat, while the Africans were given a diet high in fat with lots of meat and cheese, Sindya N. Bhanoo reports for The New York Times.

�We made them fried chicken, burgers and fries,� Stephen J. D. O�Keefe, a gastroenterologist at the University of Pittsburgh and one of the study�s authors, told Bhanoo. �They loved it.�

After two weeks, colonoscopies on the volunteers found that the African Americans who ate the traditional African diet had "reduced inflammation in the colon and increased production of butyrate, a fatty acid that may protect against colon cancer," Bhanoo writes. Africans who ate the Western diet had changes in their gut bacteria "consistent with an increased cancer risk."

African Americans are disproportionately affected by colon cancer, while the disease affects few people in rural Africa, Bhanno notes.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the U.S. and is expected to cause about 49,700 deaths during 2015, according to the American Cancer Society. Kentucky leads the nation in both incidences and deaths from colorectal cancer, with 51.4 cases per 100,000 people and 18.7 deaths per 100,000, according to the Kentucky Cancer Registry.

Princess Health andStudy finds nutritious food costs more in poor, rural areas, suggests that SNAP (food stamp) policies be changed.Princessiccia

Princess Health andStudy finds nutritious food costs more in poor, rural areas, suggests that SNAP (food stamp) policies be changed.Princessiccia

food deserts food stamps nutrition research rural-urban disparities

Gusty 21:12 Add Comment

A study has found that nutritious foods are more expensive in impoverished rural counties than in urban counties, a phenomenon that doesn't help public health officials who teach healthy eating as a proven, effective strategy to prevent chronic diseases to rural Kentuckians.

"The results of this study find that individuals living in rural areas, particularly food desserts, may be at increased risk of negative health effects as a result of more limited access to higher quality foods compared to those living in urban areas," says the report of the University of Kentucky study, "Food Cost Disparities in Rural Communities," published in Health Promotion Practice.

Researchers analyzed the per-serving cost of 92 foods four times over a 10-month period in the primary grocery stores in four Kentucky counties, two rural and two urban. One rural county was considered a food desert, meaning that fresh produce isn't relatively available. The commonly purchased foods in the study were assigned to one of four categories based on their nutritional value.

Not surprisingly, the cheapest foods were those with the least nutritional value, such as canned fruit in heavy syrup, cereals with high-fructose corn syrup, and processed meats.

Foods that are a bit more nutritional, but mainly processed convenience foods, were more expensive in rural counties than urban counties.

Foods that were considered nutritious, but not the most nutritious, such as white rice, oats, whole-grain bran cereals and frozen fish, cost the most in the rural county with the highest poverty rate.

The cost of the most nutritional items varied by county, with the "most striking finding" being that "the rural food desert had significantly higher per-serving costs among the most nutritious food items, compared to the other three counties," 6 to 8 cents higher per item, the report said.

Within each county, the study did not find much difference in food cost among the foods in each of the four nutrition categories.

However, it did find that highly processed convenience foods in urban counties were more expensive than more nutritional foods, and suggested that those living in urban areas could afford more plant-based foods and fewer processed foods as an "effective strategy to improve overall dietary quality without increasing food budgets."

The study draws attention to the SNAP or food-stamp program, which makes no allowances for food cost differences between regions or counties, and suggests that its model be changed to be more like the Women, Infants and Children program, which uses a portion-based system: Participants buy a set number of ounces or servings of dairy products, whole grains, and fresh produce each month, irrespective of price. This approach "has the potential to adequately meet all participants' nutritional needs, irrespective of differences in food prices," wrote the researchers, Frances Hardin-Fanning and Mary Kay Rayens of the UK College of Nursing.

Princess Health andPilot salad bar will determine whether other Jefferson Co. schools follow suit in bid to increase students' veggie and fruit intake.Princessiccia

Princess Health andPilot salad bar will determine whether other Jefferson Co. schools follow suit in bid to increase students' veggie and fruit intake.Princessiccia

fruit nutrition school lunch schools vegetables

Gusty 09:45 Add Comment

The Jefferson County Public School system is pilot-testing a salad bar at Atherton High School to entice students to eat more vegetables and fruits, a goal of the new federal nutrition standards, Allison Ross reports for The Courier-Journal.

Photo from TheProduceMom.com

"We're always looking for new ideas to increase participation or attract students to come through the serving line," Terina Edington, assistant director for nutrition services, told Ross.

Many of Kentucky's children are falling far short of the daily recommended four and a half cups or more of fruits and vegetables, a shortcoming that one study says will contribute to early heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2013 State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables found that only 50 percent of Kentucky adolescents reported eating fruit and 43 percent reported eating vegetables with a median intake of one time per day for both.

Salad bars were once common in Jefferson County schools, but concerns about portion control and contamination concerns caused them to "slowly disappear," Edington told Ross. Many schools across the country continue to "remain leery" of adding salad bars because of such health concerns, Ross writes.

This trial will help the district determine whether it will put salad bars in other schools. Cafeteria modifications for the salad bar at Atherton cost $400, Ross reports.

A push for schools to add more salad bars has been led by First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative, which co-sponsors a "Salad Bars 2 Schools" program that has donated more than 4,000 salad bars to schools, Ross reports. "A 2014 evaluation of that program found that 57 percent of participating schools saw an increase in student participation in school lunch, and 78 percent reported buying more fruits and vegetables."

The school's Facebook page said that the salad bar would have diced ham, turkey breast, fajita chicken strips, cucumbers, baby spinach, radishes and four types of dressings, with the lettuce and meat portions pre-measured, while the other ingredients will be self-serve.

Atherton High parent Lynn Greene told Ross that she is "thrilled my child has a healthy option," saying she hopes other schools will also get salad bars.

Princess Health andSchool nutritionists' lobbying group, freshly funded by grocery makers, wants more funding and flexibility with school-lunch rules.Princessiccia

Princess Health andSchool nutritionists' lobbying group, freshly funded by grocery makers, wants more funding and flexibility with school-lunch rules.Princessiccia

agriculture child obesity childhood obesity education hunger nutrition poverty

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School nutrition officials want more flexibility with new school lunch rules to cut down on the waste of unwanted food, Spencer Chase reports for Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter. Julia Bauscher, president of the School Nutrition Association, told the House Education and Workforce Committee that the organization supports the rules, but needs more funding to enforce them  and more flexbility to serve foods students will eat. (USDA graphic)

"SNA is requesting 35 cents more in federal funding for each lunch and breakfast that is served in the school lunch program, up from the additional six cents the government provided when the new standards were put in place," Chase writes. Bauscher told the committee, �That will help school food authorities afford the foods that we must serve, but unfortunately that won't make students consume it.�

Bauscher, who said SNA wants Congress "to soften the bill's target levels for more whole grains and less sodium in school meals," said that "in many cases, the new requirements have forced school lunch programs outside of budgetary constraints, forcing them to ask school districts to make up the difference. According to SNA, school districts will absorb $1.2 billion in new food and labor costs in 2010," Agri-Pulse reports. SNA has drawn major funding from some food manufacturers.

Chase writes that 51 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunches, the first time the number has topped 50 percent in at least 50 years.

Princess Health andCrittenden County Elementary School is latest school in area to restrict nuts to protect the health of those with nut allergies.Princessiccia

Princess Health andCrittenden County Elementary School is latest school in area to restrict nuts to protect the health of those with nut allergies.Princessiccia

allergies education food allergies nutrition school health school lunch schools

Gusty 12:44 Add Comment

This story has been updated to include information about other Western Kentucky schools with nut restrictions.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a lunchbox staple for many American children, but they can also pose a serious health risk to those with peanut and tree-nut allergies, especially in the young. The risk has prompted the Crittenden County school district to become the latest in the area to restrict the use of nuts at the Crittenden County Elementary School in Marion.

"Peanut and tree nut allergies plague an estimated 19 million Americans and the number of children with peanut allergies in the U.S. has nearly doubled in just over a decade," The Crittenden Press noted.

After researching the issue and how other schools have dealt with it, the school's parent-teacher council and wellness committee created a policy that restricts but doesn't ban nuts, the Press reports.

The policy asks everyone to be aware that nut products are dangerous to some of the students and asks them to not send those products to school, Principal Melissa Tabor told the Press. She said at least five students have proven nut allergies.

Several other Western Kentucky schools have peanut restrictions,Genevieve Postlethwait reports for The Paducah Sun, including Carlisle County and Fulton County schools, with Paducah and Hickman County schools having restricted peanuts for varying periods of time in the past. (Story is behind a pay wall.)

"We do it on a case-by-case, year-by-year basis," Penny Holt,the district's nutrition director, told Postlethwait of Paducah schools' approach to restricting peanuts and other allergens. "If a child has an allergy that is that serious, we're not going to risk it," she said, noting that they are seeing an increase in all kinds of food allergies.

Another school, Heath Elementary, has a child with an airborne peanut allergy so the school does not serve any peanut products or cook with any peanut products, Sara Jane Hedges, food services director for McCracken County schools. told Postlethwait. Students are still allowed to bring peanut butter products, but " "It's just taken care of very carefully," Hedges said.

Crittenden County Elementary school's policy does not require school personnel to check backpacks or lunchboxes for nut-containing products, but if they see children have one of these products, they ask them to sit at a designated table for that day, where they can ask a friend to join them.

The school sent home a list of nut-free snacks, including safe name brands that do not contain peanut oil, to help parents re-think what to pack in their child's lunch or to send for school snacks or for school parties.

So far, the principal said, parents have been receptive to the policy, and one parent told her that they had successfully switched to a soy butter that tastes like peanut butter because their child wants peanut-butter sandwiches for lunch.

The policy states that those with severe allergies to peanuts or nut products may be at great risk of anaphylactic shock, "an allergic reaction causing swelling, difficulty breathing, itching, unconsciousness, circulatory collapse and sometimes death," if they ingest or are exposed to these products.

"Because of the possibility of cross-contamination, a campus-wide, comprehensive avoidance of foods containing nuts was deemed to be the best solution to reduce the health risks to students with allergens," Tabor told the Press.

Crittenden County School Supt. Vince Clark told the weekly newspaper that he supports the school's policy, despite the argument that it creates a burden to parents of students who love peanut butter.

�There are valid points on each side of the issue,� he told the Press. �Ultimately, we have to support efforts to offer a safer learning environment for the children.� (Read more)