by Charles Stuart Platkin,

I was in the supermarket the other day with my 4-year-old daughter. As we were walking down the dairy isle, she saw a yogurt with a cartoon character on the container, and she wanted it bad. No big deal, right? Yogurt is healthy. Well, this particular yogurt was filled with added sugar and loaded with calories. Raising nutritionally intelligent children is no easy task, but you have to start them young. How young? I reached out to a few experts to find out.

When do you start teaching your children about healthy foods?

"Nutrition begins with the parents. Some studies indicate that a child's taste starts to be established based on what a pregnant women eats," says Shari Barkin, professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University.

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR, The New york Times

The Food and Drug Administration advises pregnant women to avoid eating certain fish entirely, because they may contain unsafe levels of methylmercury, and to limit seafood to 12 ounces, or about two servings, a week. But a British report, published in The Lancet on Feb. 17, suggests that this may not be the best advice.

In an observational study of more than 8,000 pregnant women and their children, the researchers found that the children whose mothers ate less than 12 ounces of seafood a week were about 45 percent more likely to fall into the lowest 25 percent in I.Q.

Obesity is one of the number one health concerns in today’s society. The US Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 60 million Americans, or 30% of the adult population, are obese. The term obese refers to people who weigh over 30 pounds more than their ideal weight, or who have a Body Mass Index of 30 or more.

One of the national health objectives in the US is to reduce the incidence of obesity to less than 15% of the adult population by 2010; however, current statistics indicate that the problem is still on the rise. In addition, the percentage of young people in America who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980.

Over 9 million children and teens between the ages of 6 and 19 are considered overweight. This equates to 16 % of the population.

The study looked at high school cafeterias in 20 different jurisdictions across the nation. In some, researchers found roaches, rats and outdated safety codes.

The study was conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based non-profit.

Researchers evaluated the cafeterias on four criteria: how optimal are the food safety codes, how often the facilities are inspected, how easy is to get public information about the cafeteria from the internet and how safe are the cafeterias themselves?

The Minister, Elena Salgado, announced the move last week in the company of the president of the Spanish Agency for Food and Nutrition Safety (AESAN), Félix Lobo, who added that the new European guidelines on the issue would come into force on July 1st 2007.

Salgado explained that the EU regulations stated that descriptions such as “rich in vitamins”, “low calorie”, “no added sugar” or “fat free”, which are becoming more and more common in the promotion of products, must be based on “proved scientific evidence”. She added that the measures would prevent the use of confusing messages to attract consumer attention and at the same time protect consumer health.

Nutrition research can often be tantalising.

In the early stages, when researchers discover new functions for well-known nutrients, but there is not yet an overwhelming body of evidence available, we know that a nutrient may have new and important roles to play.

However, we can't as yet recommend exactly how much of the nutrient would be required to achieve its protective or curative function. At present, this applies to vitamin B6.

Q:What should I know about regarding carbohydrates listed on the Nutrition Facts label?

A:We have divided the Nutrition Facts label into pieces of a puzzle over the past few weeks.

We started our discussion with portion sizes. Then we uncovered the role calories and percent daily value play in meal planning. Learning how to read labels for fat, cholesterol and sodium followed.

Now the relevance of using the Nutrition Facts label for carbohydrates is revealed.

Puzzle Piece 7 - Total Carbohydrate: Carbohydrates play an important role in overall health. They are the preferred energy source for our cells, are found in an abundance of foods and can directly affect an individual's blood sugar control.

Quite possibly, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Li Li. She's using cauliflower to identify genes and define molecular mechanisms that regulate nutrients in plant-based foods.

Li, a molecular biologist at the ARS U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory (PSNL) in Ithaca, N.Y., is making significant headway using this gene--dubbed "Or" for the color orange--to induce high levels of beta-carotene in food crops. She and colleagues at Cornell University isolated the gene last year.

ZURICH (AFX) - Nestle SA said it aims for 10 pct annual organic growth in its nutrition segment while also seeking acquisitions, citing Novartis AG's Gerber unit as a potential target.

'We are aiming for 10 pct organic growth in the nutrition business,' a spokesman for the Swiss food giant said.

He added that Nestle was still seeking acquisitions and that the group might well be interested in Novartis (nyse: NVS)' Gerber unit, should the pharma group put Gerber up for sale.

Nutrition studies of beverages funded solely by industry are four to eight times more likely to report favourable conclusions for the sponsors than studies with no industry funding, say researchers from the US.

The results, published on-line in the journal Public Library of Science – Medicine, are based on a review of 206 review and research articles that focussed on studies using soft drinks, fruit juices, and milk with health-related outcomes. 

“The main finding of this study is that scientific articles about commonly consumed beverages funded entirely by industry were approximately four to eight times more likely to be favourable to the financial interests of the sponsors than articles without industry-related funding,” wrote lead author Lenard Lesser from the Children 's Hospital, Boston.

The findings of the consultation industry are in line with those of EAS: while most consumer and health NGOs said they were in favour of a mandatory approach, the food industry continues to press for a voluntary approach.

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- With an eye on Americans who spend too much time sitting behind computer screens and not enough time getting exercise, the American Heart Association is pitching fitness with an online nutrition tracker.

The group hopes its new free Start! program will inspire Americans to follow through on those resolutions to get in shape. With its online fitness and nutrition tracker, participants can enter what they eat each day and how much exercise they get, then get a summary of calories in and calories out.

"I think we all know that as a nation, we are not active enough," said Dr. Raymond J. Gibbons, president of the heart association, which announced its campaign Monday.

04/01/2007- Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC) is looking beyond its current focus of omega-3 ingredients, investigating marine microbial species to produce carotenoids and co-enzyme Q10.

Despite having successfully built up its Meg-3 branded ingredient over the past couple of years, ONC is not ignoring the potential of other marine-sourced nutrients. It recently published research results for its Thraustochytrid strain ONC-T18, currently used as a source of DHA, with a new area of research revolving around potential carotenoid and co-enzyme Q10 production.

Dr. Colin Barrow, ONC’s vice president of research and development and co-author of the study, told NutraIngredients.com that this organism or others currently being studied could lead to “value added DHA”, which is to say DHA plus carotenoids.

As 2006 slips deeper into the past, as resolutions are committed to paper and we look into the formless ether of the coming year, what everybody wants to know, of course, is, what's next?

Edible trends, especially, are slippery devils to predict, which is why futurists and prognosticators are paid bucks deluxe to consult with restaurant groups and food manufacturers to give them a leg up on the competition. Still, their foresight may only be as good as the next bend in the path, since growing cycles and ingredient procurement can make quick turns difficult when it comes to what ends up on your plate.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.-(Business Wire)-December 27, 2006 - HealthTeacher.com today announced the availability of a new health tool that will quickly allow consumers to find the trans fat content in everyday foods including major fast food chains.

"The move by New York City last week regarding the ban on trans fat was bold and we think NYC is only the first of several cities that will enact such legislation," said J. Tod Fetherling, president of Relegent, owner and operator of the HealthTeacher site. "We believe it is important to highlight the foods with the highest trans fat and do so in a very simple, easy to use format for consumers and students. Hopefully, by providing this information, many teachers and students will be able to make quicker changes in their habits of consuming trans fat."

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - The early reviews are mostly positive at the Universal Studios theme park in Hollywood, where the menu changed on Christmas Eve to cut unhealthy trans fats from many junk food favorites.

Jack Xu, 12, noticed something different about his french fry. "It tastes drier and not too salty," he said, then added: "I still like it."

The self-described junk food addict, an exchange student from Beijing who has visited the park before, was on a field trip this week and enjoying a basket of chicken tenders and fries.

Universal Parks & Resorts, home to movie-inspired thrill rides, is the latest theme park operation to ban artery-clogging trans fats and offer healthier menus at its three domestic attractions in California and Florida. The action follows entertainment giant Walt Disney Co., which announced in October it will serve more nutritious kids' meals and phase out the artificial fats at its resorts.

There certainly was no shortage of nutrition stories this year. Surprises were few -- thankfully no apparent flip-flops as in previous years when new evidence shook up the scientific world. Many of the reports simply reinforced the wisdom of the ages such as getting in your quota of fruits and vegetables and opting for whole grains over refined ones.

Awareness about problems with the food supply, both in processed and fresh foods, heightened. And the state of the health of our youth continued to take centre stage.

Here are some updates on a few of the year's major stories.

The following summary reviews some of the highlights of the year in diet and nutrition. For fuller accounts, links to the individual articles published during the year in MedPage Today have been provided.

Big Apple Action

Earlier in the year, a review article found trans fatty acids to be a major villain in cardiovascular disease in the United States. The investigators reported that reducing trans fat intake could avert 10% to 19% of coronary heart disease events. Also, the FDA instituted new food labeling requirements for disclosing trans-fat content in January.

Atlanta - More Americans are turning to the Internet for nutrition and diet advice than ever before.

Fifty-one percent of the 147 million adults who use the Internet look for nutrition information, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Nutrition seekers tend to be women, college-educated and have six or more years of using the Internet. The Pew survey calls these people "power users" who are motivated to find information that relates to actions they might need for specific medical issues in their lives and those of their family and friends.

As you make your New Year's resolution to eat more healthfully, consider some free nutrition advice provided on reputable websites. I stress the word reputable because nutrition quackery thrives on the Internet.

India plans to introduce yoga in schools to fight rising obesity among middle-class youngsters, even as the country continues to battle widespread malnutrition and "shameful" infant and maternal mortality.

Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss said the country faced a "galloping" rise in heart disease, diabetes and cancer as India's 300-million-strong and increasingly wealthy middle class ate more junk food and lived more sedentary lives.

At the other end of the spectrum, the country had some of the worst infant and maternal mortality rates in the world, he told medical experts at a workshop.

The European Commission published in November an extensive survey on EU citizens’ views regarding obesity and health. According to this survey, a majority of European consumers believes that healthy eating includes a balanced and varied diet rich in fruit and vegetables.

Main findings of the study are:

• one in five Europeans has changed what he or she eats within the last year
• 31 percent of respondents consider that is not easy to eat a healthy diet
• 58 percent of EO consumers find indeed that eating a healthy diet involves above all “eating more fruit and vegetables”
• 45 percent thinks that eating too much fat food is incompatible with healthy eating.
• the most frequently mentioned change is eating more fruit and vegetables 155 percent).
• a very clear majority of Europeans (85%) is in favour of Government action to promote a healthy diet.

Controversial guidelines that could see children offered weight loss surgery have been published by the Government's health watchdog.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) report is the first of its kind from the body aimed at tackling the obesity crisis in England and Wales.

The guidance focuses on the prevention and treatment of obesity in adults and children and will be sent to NHS professionals, schools, local authorities, employers and town planners. Nice said there was a need "for urgent action" to stem the rising tide of obesity.

Abbenbroek told NutraIngredients.com that when she started with the company eight years ago, it was a relatively small outfit. Now it has a staff of 75 (excluding production), who have brought on board considerable expertise in R&D, regulatory, patents and marketing.

The modified wheat could offer a solution to nutritional deficiencies affecting hundreds of millions of children around the world, the researchers said in a press release.

Students in the science classes at the SIUE E. St. Louis Charter School are studying the significance of nutrition labels.

Nutrition labels provide consumers with important information about the content and effects of products.

Science teacher, Darius Pikes received a grant to teach students about nutrition. The students in Mr. Pikes' classes are studying food labels and beginning to pay more attention to the fats, saturated fats, and cholesterol intake. They are also learning about how many servings are in the food they eat and how many they are supposed to have.

Funny. A press-release claiming that Nestle is working on customers' well-being and proper awareness. At the same time Nestle's Enviga appears to be a fraud. Read about growing profits of Nestle below.

NESTLE Nutrition, a division of Nestle Malaysia, expects its healthcare nutrition business to continue a double-digit growth this year, driven by greater awareness on health and well-being in Malaysia.

Nestle Nutrition business manager for healthcare & performance nutrition, Emilyn Loo, said healthcare nutrition registered between 30 and 40 per cent growth in sales over the past six years.

WASHINGTON - December 4 - Enviga, a new carbonated green tea beverage, claims that it burns more calories than it provides, resulting in “negative calories.” But the nonprofit food watchdog group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), says that Enviga burns money, and over the long term is more likely to result in a negative bank balance than negative calories. Today CSPI served notice on Coca-Cola and Nestlé, the companies behind Enviga, that it will sue them if they continue to market the drink with fraudulent calorie-burning and weight loss claims.

Enviga is bolstered with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant that occurs in green tea, and caffeine. The companies claim that those substances speed up metabolism and increase energy use. Enviga’s web site and other advertising further claim that there is a “calorie burning effect from a single can,” that it is “much smarter than fads, quick-fixes, and crash diets,” and that it keeps “those extra calories from building up.” CSPI says that the evidence that Enviga has even a minor effect is weak and inconsistent at best, and that the claims violate federal food law and state consumer protection laws.

December 4, 2006 — Nutritional status is a key factor to help prevent or delay disability in elderly patients, according to the results of a longitudinal study reported in the November 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Although there is consensus that poor nutritional status is a potential factor, there is a lack of studies investigating its role in the development and course of disability," write Benedetta Bartali, RD, of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and colleagues. "Our previous studies and other reports suggest an association of poor nutritional status with reduced physical function and disability. Most of these findings, however, are cross-sectional, and a causal role cannot be established."

by Dr. Kendall Sprott at New Jersey Medical School

Q: I have a 3-year-old son and am expecting a daughter in February. I only nursed my son for a short while, because of work, which required quite a bit of travel. I will be working from home when my daughter is born and have forgotten some of the issues with breast feeding. I was wondering about the need to give her additional water. My son doesn't drink plain water at all, preferring juice, soda and milk. Is there a certain amount of water that children need?

A: Breast milk is the ideal food for newborns. Breast milk production is stimulated by nursing, which empties the breasts. Babies are born with a suck reflex, and will suck and swallow when anything similar to a nipple is placed in their mouth. The first few days of nursing are the most important for establishing successful breastfeeding.