HEALTH CHECK YOUR WAISTLINE!: Belly fat--not BMI--is a killer for patients with clogged arteries - latimes.com

Belly fat--not BMI--is a killer for patients with clogged arteries - latimes.com: "For people with coronary artery disease, including those with a 'normal, healthy' body-mass index (or BMI), having even a little flubber around the middle is a bad omen, increasing the risk of death as much as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or having very high cholesterol. But having a BMI in the 'overweight' or 'obese' category does not, by itself, imply a grim prognosis, says a new study.

The new research, published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, makes clear that when it comes to body composition, it is better to be pear-shaped--carrying fat deposits in the hips, buttocks and thighs--than to be shaped like an apple, carrying excess fat around the middle. And it makes clear that for a patient with clogged or obstructed coronary arteries, a large waist circumference and high waist-to-hip ratio are better prognosticators of death than is his or her BMI, which is a poor measure. "

......But those whose BMIs are between 25 and 29.9 (overweight) and above 30 (obese) are at high risk, too, if their midsections are larded with extra fat. A waist circumference above 35 inches for women and 40 for men is considered dangerous, and gets more dangerous with every added inch. Figuring out the waist to hip ratio requires a tape measure and the back of an envelope (ideally, it should be no more than 0.8 for women and 0.95 for men), but here's a calculator to check that too. (PLS CLICK WEBSITE FOR MORE IFO)

HEALTHY PARENTING: Family Meals Might Help Kids Keep a Healthy Weight - FoxNews.com

Family Meals Might Help Kids Keep a Healthy Weight - FoxNews.com: "Kids who sit down to eat with their families are less likely to be overweight and eat unhealthy foods, according to U.S. researchers who call for more shared meals.

In the first report to combine all existing studies on the issue, they found kids who eat with their parents at least three times a week had 12 percent lower odds of being overweight.

The children were also 20 percent less likely to eat junk food, 35 percent less likely to have eating problems like skipping meals or bingeing, and 24 percent more likely to eat vegetables and other healthy foods.

'Sitting down together as a family, there are nutritional benefits from that,' said Amber Hammons, a psychologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, whose findings are published in the journal Pediatrics."

HEALTHY MOVE: Legislation Will Improve Health, Safety of Hawaii Residents | Hawaii Reporter

Legislation Will Improve Health, Safety of Hawaii Residents | Hawaii Reporter: "Leaf through any magazine or newspaper, turn on the TV or listen to the radio. We get hit with heavy advertising that promotes less healthy food and less exercise. Children are especially vulnerable because they are so dependent on grown-ups for their food and activities. Many schools now offer sugar drinks and unhealthy snacks, although more are now looking into healthier foods and menus. A mere 18% of all students have the opportunity for one hour of aerobic exercise each day. Only 1/3 of students take PE classes. Half of American’s children don’t have access to a park, community center, or even sidewalk in their neighborhood where they can be active in a safe environment. Many people can’t get to supermarkets that sell healthy food or afford healthy food. High calorie food and sugar drinks are more available nowadays. Portion sizes have increased. Children aged 8 to 18 spending an average 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media, so that they aren’t exercising."

HEALTHY FOOD: FOR YOUR PETS!: Holistic Select® Natural Pet Food Launches Online Health Tool -- TEWKSBURY, Mass., May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Holistic Select® Natural Pet Food Launches Online Health Tool -- TEWKSBURY, Mass., May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --: "TEWKSBURY, Mass., May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Holistic Select® pet food recently launched the Holistic Select Health Scale (www.petwiseparent.com/healthscale), a tool designed to help pet parents evaluate and improve the holistic health of their cats and dogs. The new tool focuses on five main areas of holistic health: nutrition, education, socialization, physical health and environment. Participants rank their pets on a scale of one to five based on the accuracy of a set of statements pertaining to each area. The fun and interactive online tool is a great way for pet parents to discover how they're doing with respect to their pet's whole-body health and gain valuable insight with our experts' tips for improvement or just as a refresher. And, for a limited time only, each pet parent that completes the Holistic Select Health Scale will receive an exclusive savings offer for Holistic Select pet food. "

Wellness Update: Africa: Rwanda to Lead Region Health Labs Networking

allAfrica.com: East Africa: Rwanda to Lead Region Health Labs Networking: "Dr Daniel Ngamije, the Global Fund and World Bank project management unit coordinator said countries will provide leadership at the regional level by leading working groups in key technical areas where each country has a comparative advantage.

Rwanda will take the lead in determining the applicability of the performance- based financing approach to public health laboratories, document and share lessons.

Rwanda's Ministry of Health is planning to invest approximately $32million in e-health to support development of ICT mechanisms for its healthcare system including hospital management information systems, telemedicine and community based information systems across the country.

It has also been selected as a centre of excellence for MDR-TB for the Africa region by the Dutch TB Foundation (KNCV) and will also share lessons in this area."

Wellness Update: North America: Medical News: Salt Study Discounts Link to Hypertension - in Cardiovascular, Hypertension from MedPage Today

Medical News: Salt Study Discounts Link to Hypertension - in Cardiovascular, Hypertension from MedPage Today: "Staessen and colleagues found:

Cardiovascular deaths decreased across increasing tertiles of 24-hour urinary sodium excretion. There were 50 deaths in the low group, 24 in the medium tertile, and 10 in the high group – 4.1%, 1.9%, and 0.8% of the cohort, respectively – and the differences were significant at P<0.001.
The risk of cardiovascular death was significantly elevated in the low tertile, with a hazard ratio of 1.56 and a 95% confidence interval from 1.02 to 2.36, which was significant at P=0.04.
24-hour urinary sodium excretion was not associated with incidence of hypertension. There were 187 new cases of hypertension in the low tertile, 190 in the medium, and 175 in the high group over the follow-up period.
In multivariate analyses, a 100-millimole increase in sodium excretion was associated with a systolic blood pressure of 1.71 millimeters of mercury (significant at P<0.001) but no change in diastolic pressure."

Wellness Update: South America: Smoothie King Debuts Organic Apple Acai Smoothie -- NEW ORLEANS, May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Smoothie King Debuts Organic Apple Acai Smoothie -- NEW ORLEANS, May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --: "The Organic Apple Acai Smoothie is a delicious blend of organic apple juice, acai and herbal nutrients. Combining the super food powers of the acai berry with the clean, tart flavors of fresh organic apple juice, the Organic Apple Acai Smoothie makes for the perfect snack or meal replacement at under 360 calories. Native to Central and South America, the acai berry is rich in antioxidants and amino acids and can help boost energy and promote weight loss.
'More and more people are looking for organic options—for themselves and their families,' said Cindy Kuhnau, co-founder and executive vice president of Smoothie King. 'We wanted to provide our fans with an organic product they can fit into their busy lifestyles—that both tastes good and satisfies this need. The Organic Apple Acai Smoothie is the first in what we hope to be an extended organic product line.'
The first organic smoothie to launch in the major quick service restaurant market category, the Organic Apple Acai smoothie further enhances Smoothie King's lineup of healthy, function-based smoothies and snacks. The new offering is a part of Smoothie King's 'Be Good to Yourself' campaign and is available at all of its locations across the U.S."