Month: May 2015

Since California started restricting foods sold from school vending machines and snack bars, students have become a bit less likely to be overweight. But almost all of the change occurred in high-income neighborhoods, a study found. The study spanned the years 2001 through 2010. In 2004, California banned the sale of sugary drinks and high-fat milk in schools other than high schools. Further restrictions took effect in 2007. This law set limits on fat and sugar content of snack foods sold in schools. The study included 2.7 million fifth graders. Researchers looked at their body mass index, a measurement of weight in relationship to height. The proportion of students who were overweight or obese rose slightly over the whole study period, from 43.5% to 45.8%. But the growth was halted or reversed in the years after the 2 laws took effect.

Recent research suggests that sitting for long periods is harmful even for those who get regular exercise. But a new study finds that getting up and moving for just 2 minutes each hour can help reverse those effects. The study used data from a national health survey. People wore devices that measured their movement throughout the day. Researchers kept track of people for 3 years. In that time, 137 died. Researchers found that those who had short spurts of light activity were less likely to die during the study than those who just sat for a long time. For example, people may have spent the time in walking, cleaning or gardening. Doing these things for as little as 2 minutes an hour, instead of 2 minutes of sitting, reduced the risk of early death by 33%, the study found.