News Articles

More fruits, veggies for food stamp recipients goal of Minn. program
State officials are launching a pilot program to encourage food stamp recipients to eat more fruits and vegetables. Starting in June, food stamp customers at select grocery stores in Minnesota will get a $5 coupon for fruits and vegetables. They'll be able to use that coupon during their next visit to the grocery store.

Sugar-sweetened sodas, sports drinks and fruit drinks may be associated with about 180,000 deaths around the world each year
In the U.S., research shows that about 25,000 deaths in 2010 were linked to drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. The American Heart Association recommends adults consume no more than 450 calories per week, from sugar-sweetened beverages.

Familiarity with Television Fast-Food Ads Linked to Obesity
There is a long-held concern that youths who eat a lot of fast food are at risk for becoming overweight. New research to be presented Sunday, April 29, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston shows that greater familiarity with fast-food restaurant advertising on television is associated with obesity in young people.

Childhood Obesity: Common Misconceptions
“My child may seem overweight according to the growth charts, but our entire family is ‘big boned.’ So I don’t think he has a weight problem at all.”

Teasing and Bullying of Obese and Overweight Children:
How Parents and Children Should Respond to This Type of Bullying.

How your job is hurting you
Over 80% of Americans work in jobs that require little to no physical activity and the effects are starting to show. See some fun facts on exercise and stress in the workplace.

How to tell if your kids are fit
The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition says fewer than one in five kids get the exercise they need. The report suggests ways to test this.

Kid's gulp seven trillion calories per year
Kids from the ages of 2 to 19, consume about 7 trillion calories in sugar-sweetened beverages per year. At 50 cents per can, it's about $24 billion a year. But the good news is that simply cutting out an average of 64 calories a day from kids' diets could start to level out the steep rise in childhood obesity.  

Organic foods and kids
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has conducted an extensive analysis of scientific evidence surrounding organic produce, dairy products and meat. The conclusion is mixed: While organic foods have the same vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, proteins, lipids and other nutrients as conventional foods, they also have lower pesticide levels, which may be significant for children.What’s most important is that children eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, whether those are conventional or organic foods. 

Fall Produce Guide
Fall is a great time for apples, squash, root vegetables and more! Check out this produce guide with great healthy recipes too.

Healthy Habits for Life Resource Kit 
Resources for early childhood and childcare providers.

A healthy community pays off
A new study shows that even simple changes such as more sidewalks, longer hours at public parks and schools and better access to healthy foods could pay off large dividends in health. 

Kids fitness adds up
Being fit may be one of the most important factors for middle school students to make good grades in math and reading, according to findings presented at the American Psychological Association’s 120th Annual Convention. For boys and girls, cardiorespiratory fitness was the only factor related to their performance on the math tests.

Skipping breakfast before school
Studies report that skipping breakfast before school significantly reduced students' speed and accuracy on cognitive and memory tests compared with those who ate breakfast, according to a study recently published online in the journal Appetite.   Researchers compared the performance of 1,386 students from 32 schools on several Internet-based tests of attention, memory and reaction time. Compared with those who ate breakfast, students who skipped the morning meal had 7-10% poorer results in attention,  target-detection, and picture-recognition than students who ate breakfast. The effect was even greater in girls than boys. 


School lunch gets a makeover
Students heading back to school will have healthier lunch-time fare. Due to new federal regulations, smaller portions of meat and protein, fewer calories, and a more whole grains, fruits and vegetables are on the menu. The new rules go beyond encouraging students to choose healthy fruits and vegetables. They require them.

Resources 

Living Healthy in Washington County

Healthier Together Plan in St. Croix County