Labels on Sugary Drinks Really May Make a Difference

coca-cola-473780_640Here is an interesting study that many parents will find important. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found that simple food label warnings on soda makes teenagers much more likely to avoid these sugary drinks. Researchers used an online survey to see what drinks 2000 participants most loved. The participants were between 12 and 18 and were from diverse backgrounds.

The beverages either had no label on them, or one of five warning labels. One featured the calorie content and four had various types of warning labels. 77% of the people who didn’t see a label said they would select a sugary drink in a hypothetical situation they were given. When there was a health warning on the drink, participants were 8-16% less likely to take it.

62% of the participants also said that they would support having warning labels on sugary drinks. As Dr. Eric VanEpps, a researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said, “ The influence of warning labels on the purchasing intentions of teenagers in this study highlights the need for nutrition information at the point of purchase to help people make healthier choices.”

He continued, “This study shows that warning labels can affect teenagers’ beverage preferences, and future research will be needed to determine whether these labels are similarly effective in more typical purchasing environments.”

Their findings appear in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine and could certainly influence policy decisions about labeling drinks.

iPads as Tools of Relaxation

ipad-632512_960_720Recent research about iPad use in children is certainly interesting for patients undergoing operations – but a bit daunting for those of us who let their kids zone out with technology.

In a French study of 112 children aged 4-10 who were having a day surgery, the researchers found that computer games worked as well as drugs to help kids relax before their operations. Half of the kids were given a sedative before their anesthesia, while half were given an iPad loaded with games just twenthy minutes before going into surgery.

Then, the children, their parents and the surgery nurses were all asked questions. The answers to these questions showed that the iPads worked as well as the midazolam sedative did to help with anxiety. Even more significant, the parents and nurses were more satisfied with the children who had used the iPads than they were with the children given the sedative.

As researcher Dominique Chassard of the Hospices Civils de Lyon explains, “Our study showed that child and parental anxiety before anesthesia are equally blunted by midazolam or use of the iPad. Use of iPads or other tablet devices is a non-pharmacologic tool which can reduce stress without any sedative effect in paediatric surgery.”

Certainly, this information is helpful in terms of surgery. But it also indicates the power that technology can have over children; allowing them to zone out and become immersed in another world, of sorts.

Back to School Fashion

As long as we’re focusing on the back to school adventure, we figured we’d offer some cute fashion tips. We all want to look great as the school year starts – whether we are dressing the kids or dressing ourselves. Here are some suggestions for back to school style that won’t break the bank.

Great Back to School Tips

Learn the best back to school tips to keep you organized and to keep your cool as you head back into the classroom.

What’s Making You Binge Eat?

burger-500054_960_720In a new study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers looked at binge eating to see if it is actually a brain disorder – and they found that it is. The irrational desire to eat way beyond being satiated has long confused neurologists. But this study has identified neural circuits in the brain’s pleasure area that can actually inhibit binge-like eating in mice.

When normal people eat, the brain releases chemicals into the pleasure center like dopamines. When we’ve eaten enough, the brain them stops flooding the pleasure center. The theory here is that people who binge have a built up tolerance and a healthy amount of food doesn’t stimulate pleasure.

This team, led by Baylor’s Dr. Yong Xu, and conducted by the Baylor Colleget of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, analyzed lab mice which have been raised to binge eat. Of the 14 potential receptors that control the effects of serotonin in the body, Xu and his colleagues were able to identify one that might influence binging behavior. The serotonin 2C receptor could help to suppress binge eating.

There is already an FDA-approved drug that works as a serotonin 2C agonist and it is currently used for overweight and obese people. This could, perhaps, be repurposed to suppress binge eating in adults, according to Xu.

And The Top 10 Cities Around the World Are….

charleston-929080_960_720It’s always interesting to see what travel companies and publications have to say about cities around the world. Travel + Leisure recently put out their awards for the world’s top cities in their annual reader-chose World’s Best Awards. The list of top cities around the world probably won’t surprise many, but it is surprising that three Southern locations in America hit the top ten. The list of the top 10 cities around the world includes:

1. Charleston, South Carolina
2. Chiang Mai, Thailand
3. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
4. Florence, Italy
5. Luang Prabang, Laos
6. Kyoto, Japan
7. New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Barcelona, Spain

9. Savannah, Georgia
10. Cape Town, South Africa

The best European spots were Florence, Italy for the best city and and Ishcia, Italy for the best island. The Canadian top spots were Quebec City for the top city and Vancouver Island for the top island.

See the whole list here and plan your next adventure accordingly!