Bodies By M.E.

Researchers studied 752 men and women in three villages in northern and southern China where most people use little commercially processed food, but where about 80 percent of people add MSG in cooking.

After controlling for body mass index, smoking, physical activity and almost two dozen measures of daily nutrient intake, they found that the one-third of people who used the most MSG were almost three times as likely to be overweight — that is, to have a body mass index over 25 — as those who used none. On average, with each 0.04-ounce daily increase in MSG intake, B.M.I. went up by 0.61.

MSG makes food taste better, which may lead people to eat more, but the researchers controlled for total energy intake so it is unlikely that that explains the finding. The mechanism for the connection, published in the August issue of Obesity, remains unclear.

Dr. Ka He, the lead author and an assistant professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the University of North Carolina, said the study established an association, not a causal relationship.

“MSG is not toxic,” he said. “But now the question is: Is it healthy? This study is a warning that we should be cautious.”

Parents looking for healthy meals on the fast food line are going to find slim pickings. The children’s meals at popular restaurants such as Kentucky fried chicken, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, and chicken-fil-A are to high in calories according to a recent report by The Center for Science in the Public Interest. The center found that 93 percent of 1,474 possible choices at the 13 chains exceed 430 calories- one third of what the National Institute of Medicine recommends in children ages 4 to 8 should consume in a day.

There are some healthy choices on many of these menus, but parents need to educate themselves so that they can navigate through the minefield of choices. Parents want to feed there children healthy meals, however, it seem restaurant chains are setting parents by conditioning our children to expect such meals as hamburgers, fries, mac n cheese, high sugar soda and every other combination. The report also reported that not only are the restaurants exceeding caloric recommendations but also recommendations for saturated fat, trans fat and sodium.

Healthy choices such as lean sources of protein, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and wholegrain need to be put on restaurant menus so that our children are encouraged to practice healthy eating habits.

Is it better to be fit and fat or thin and unfit? Despite our nation wide obesity epidemic, there is growing evidence that our concerns about obesity as a measure of health may be misguided.

Recently a report in The Archives of Internal Medicine compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors among 5,400 adults. The data suggest that half of overweight people and one-third of obese people are “metabolically healthy”. Surprisingly, this means that despite excess pounds many of these overweight and obese people have healthy levels of good cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and other risk factors for heart disease. At the same time, one out of four “healthy weight people” have at least two cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity.

What so surprising is the amount of overweight people who are metabolically healthy; despite the fact obese people are predisposed to developing cardiovascular risks and other health problems. This data follows a report published by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and The National Cancer Institute showing overweight people have longer life expectancy than normal weight adults.

What causes this confusion is a skewed perception of what overweight really means. We typically evaluate ones body mass by using a BMI index , 18-25 is normal, 25 is considered overweight, 30 is obese. However a person who measures 25 can present themselves as not so different as the person who falls within the normal range.

Researchers at the Cooper Institute have shown that fitness may be the better predictor of health. Several studies have shown that people who are fat but keep up with a treadmill test may have a lower cardiovascular risk than the thin unfit person. The most striking finding was that regardless of BMI, the higher the fitness level the lower the mortality risk.

ealAge Tip

Not all potatoes are created equal — especially when it comes to controlling blood sugar. So what’s the superior choice for people hoping to sweep aside diabetes?

It’s the nutritious sweet potato, according to John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine. This spud may actually help stabilize blood sugar and lower insulin resistance.

Sweet and Steady
Unsteady blood sugar is a big-time risk factor for diabetes. And, because of their high glycemic index, white potatoes — be they russet or Idaho — can send blood sugar levels soaring and then crashing. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand? They have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes. And the carotenoids in sweet potatoes may help your body use insulin better — although further study is needed to confirm this