December 2014
Keep your holidays healthy
The holidays often bring a whirlwind of parties, shopping,
family get-togethers, and even travel. These changes in routine may make it
hard to keep up healthy eating and physical activity habits and lead to weight
gain. Average weight gain during the winter holidays is only one pound, but
that extra weight tends to stay on until the next holiday season, which adds
another pound.* That can add
up to quite a few pounds over time.
To keep weight gain at bay, check out some resources that may help
you stay on track during the holidays. The U.S. Department of Agriculture
offers 10 tips for healthier holiday meals and more
active days. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute also provides tasty
tips to help you and your family celebrate while keeping your weight
in check.
Kids can get in on the act too. Kids.gov offers simple tips for youngsters
on healthy eating during the holidays. It also reminds them that it’s okay to
say no to offers of food if they’re not hungry.
* Yanovski
JA, Yanovski SZ, Sovik KN, Nguyen TT, O’Neil PM, & Sebring NG. A
prospective study of holiday weight gain. The
New England Journal of Medicine. 2000;342(12):861–867. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200003233421206.
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Diabetes rates increase in U.S. youth
Rates of diabetes increased in people ages 19 and younger
from 2001 to 2009, according to a large study funded by the National Institutes
of Health and the CDC. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study is reviewing data
from youth across the United States to look for trends in diabetes. Researchers
found that type 1 diabetes rose by about 21 percent among kids of all ages, and
type 2 diabetes rose by 30.5 percent among youth ages 10 through 19.
Both types of diabetes increased in boys and girls from all
racial and ethnic groups. But the study also found differences among groups. Rates
of type 1 diabetes—the type of diabetes most common among kids—were highest
among white kids. In contrast, rates of type 2 diabetes were highest among
American Indians, followed by black, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific Islander
youth. The study did not address why diabetes rates increased or differed among
groups.
To
learn more, check out the full news release.
Watch for the next issue of the WIN Notes Update for…
…ways to be a health champion in the New Year—and
where to find tools that may help.
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